Although it was initially suspected that Paishnarine Hansraj, 25, and Justin Teixeira, 34, the two men found dead in the Guyana Marriott Hotel parking lot on Saturday, may have overdosed on a drug, investigators have been told that a substance found near them is suspected to be sodium cyanide, a poison which can be fatal in small doses.
Autopsies are scheduled to be conducted this week on the bodies of Hansraj, called ‘Richie’, a musician/singer of Hague Backdam, West Coast Demerara (WCD) and Teixeira, 34, an American Airlines flight attendant of Republic Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD). In addition, samples of the substance found in the car with the men are to be sent overseas for testing.
The discovery of the bodies in Teixeira’s vehicle, PAC 2607, was made around 00.15h by a hotel staffer. Teixeira was a guest at the hotel.
In a press release issued yesterday, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said that ranks of the Brickdam Police Station were summoned to the scene.
On arrival, a hotel worker related to them that around 23.30h on Friday, he received a call from Teixeira’s mother, who related that he was experiencing a seizure, the police said. The mother requested that someone check on him.
As a result, the worker told the police that he immediately dispatched another employee to check on Teixeira, who was staying on the sixth floor However, his room was empty.
“The employee then went to Teixeira’s vehicle, where he observed Teixeira sitting in the driver seat. All of the windows of the vehicle were half-way down,” the release stated.
It noted that the employee then opened the front passenger door of the vehicle and discovered Hansraj, sitting in a crouched position. Both men appeared to be motionless, the police added.
After the police were summoned, the men were pronounced dead at the scene.
There were no visible marks of violence on their bodies.
Unknown substance
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum yesterday told Sunday Stabroek that investigators found a container with a “whitish, hard” substance, initially suspected to be narcotics, in the back seat of the vehicle.
It was believed that the men might have been victims of a drug overdose. However, this was ruled out after the substance tested negative for narcotics.
“Various narcotics testing techniques within the scope of the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL) were conducted on the various rock-like substances recovered from the vehicle and all came back negative for the presence of narcotics,” Director of the GPF’s Corporate Communications Unit Mark Ramotar said in an update yesterday afternoon.
According to Ramotar, officials from the Guyana Forensic Laboratory have indicated to investigators that they suspect the substance may be sodium cyanide.
However, he said the GFSL does not possess the capability to conduct testing to confirm the suspicion. As a result, samples will have to be sent to an overseas laboratory for further testing.
Additionally, Blanhum said the Facebook accounts of both Teixeira and Hansraj were examined by investigators and their last posts, which were made hours before their deaths, appeared to be of “some” investigative value.
Hansraj, who celebrated his birthday on Wednesday last, updated his status on Facebook at 23.10h on Friday. “I hope the world find peace today. I love you all!” he posted.
Meanwhile, Teixeira made three different posts between Friday afternoon and Friday evening. All the posts were accompanied by pictures of himself.
“Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once,” he wrote in his last post.
The two others made about an hour before said, “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough” and “the purpose of our lives is to be happy”.
‘Always jovial’
As the news of the deaths of the two men spread, family members and friends took to Facebook to express their shock and disbelief. Many offered condolences and words of comfort to the dead men’s relatives.
When Stabroek News visited the Middle Road, La Penitence home of Teixeira’s mother yesterday morning, she was not prepared to speak.
Hansraj was scheduled to get engaged on May 7. Prior to his sudden death, he and his family were making preparations for the “highly anticipated” event.
His father, Chunilall Hansraj, told Sunday Stabroek that Richie and his partner legally married in December last year but the engagement was being held for his friends and family to celebrate after which he had planned to travel overseas for his wedding.
Chunilall, a farmer, related that his son left home around 22:00h on Friday. He told his mother he was going out but did not provide any details.
Just after 01:00h yesterday, Chunilall said he received a call from a male individual who informed him that his son was dead. “The person seh, ‘You is Richie father?’ I seh ‘Yes.’And he said, ‘Richie is dead,” he recalled.
Left in a state of shock, Chunilall said he didn’t asked any questions. “I didn’t know if was truth or a prank or them kind of things,” he noted.
However, the news was later confirmed after his wife and daughter along with a neighbour saw posts about the men’s deaths on Facebook. “…’Til it was confirm then I get nervous for like one hour and a half—just sit in the hammock one place for one hour and a half,” Chunilall said as he fought to hold back tears.
Chunilall told this newspaper that Teixeira was no stranger to the family. “I know him like two and a half three years…..He used to come over sometime and then he went away…..they were friends all along,” he told this newspaper.
Like everyone else, he said the death of his son has left him searching for answers. “I still, like you, want fah know wah really happen… I know he does lime with Justin all the while. I don’t know if there is any third party or anything. We have to wait and see for the police to do their job,” he said.
“I don’t know if it’s suicide, murder/ suicide or what…You got your son, strong, he ain’t show no way of depression, was happy to know he people them coming, doing everything to get it fix and then suddenly this,” Chunilall added.
The father related that Richie was known to be an individual who was always jovial. He said he never showed any signs of having any problems or being depressed.
As a matter of fact, just on Friday, he said, Richie cleaned the entire upper flat of the house ahead of the engagement. “…He clean the whole upstairs. He fix it up nice,” Chunilall said.
Investigations, including the review of CCTV footage from the hotel, are ongoing, the police said.
If you are experiencing thoughts of committing suicide or you know someone who is, you can seek help from the Inter-Agency Suicide Prevention Helpline:
Telephone: 223-0818, 223-0009 and 223-0001
Mobile: 600-7896 or 623-4444
Whatsapp: 600-7896 or 623-4444
Facebook: Guyana Inter-agency Suicide Prevention Helpline
