Bartica Double Murder: Two charged with accessory remanded

April 11, 2024 | Guyana Uncut was | Georgetown, Guyana

Zaheer Mohammed Sheriff, a 50-year-old, a gold miner from Byderabo Road, Bartica, and Donvan Washington, a 26-year-old porter from Lot 11 Seventh Avenue, Bartica, were murdered at Arimu Backdam Cuyuni River.

Following an investigation, on April 11, 2024, at around 3:15 hours, Travis Fredericks, a 32-year-old Miner from 287 Tuschen Housing Scheme, and Fernando Fredericks, a 28-year-old Miner from the same address, appeared separately at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court before His Worship Teriq Mohamed.

They men were each charged with the offense of being an accessory after the fact to murders.

They were not required to plea and were both remanded to prison.

The matters were adjourned to April 25, 2024, for disclosure.

Sheriff and Washington were fatally shot during a gold heist at about 10:00 hours on Sunday, March 03, at Arimu Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven.

Residents of Region Seven was thrown into a state of shock following the murders committed on Sheriff and Washington.

Reports are that two masked men on a Red ATV, carted off with 102 ounces of raw gold valued at $37M and two license firearms (a .32 pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun) property of Sheriff, after killing him and his worker.

Police headquarters had said that Sheriff was the owner of a six-inch land dredge operation at Arimu Backdam.

At about 10:00 hours on the said date, he washed down the mentioned amount of raw gold and left his camp with Washington on an ATV en route to Bartica. Joel Stephen, 39, who is the General Manager for Sheriff’s operation, alleged that about five minutes after his boss left camp, he heard several loud explosions, which he suspected to be gunshots.

He went to make checks in the area, and about 500 meters away from the camp, Stephen found both men lying in the trail with gunshot injuries about their bodies.

He also observed that both of Sheriff’s firearms and the gold were missing. He then alerted cops at the Bartica Police Station.

When police arrived at the scene; Sheriff’s body was examined. A circular wound to his right upper chest, a circular wound to upper right thigh, a circular wound to upper right arm, and circular wound to his left upper back was seen.

Washington’s body was also examined, and a circular wound was seen to the lower abdomen, left chest, left shoulder, left hand, and left elbow. Four circular wounds were also seen to his right thigh, two to left thigh and one to his back.

The scene was processed, and one .32 magazines with eight live matching rounds, seven 9MM spent shells, and three .32 spent shells were found.

Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh had performed a Post-Mortem Examination (PME) with dissection on the body of Washington, and in conclusion, Dr. Singh gave the cause of death as ‘multiple gunshot wounds’.

Dr. Singh also performed a PME with dissection on the body of Sheriff, and in conclusion, Dr. Singh gave the cause of death as ‘multiple gunshot wounds’.