Cops probing report that murder of Tain mother was ‘hit’
The police in Berbice are probing whether Leilawatie Mohamed, also known as ‘Aunty Leila,’ who was shot dead on Tuesday when men invaded her Tain Settlement, Corentyne home, may have been the victim of a `hit’.
Mohamed, 45, a mother of four, was shot at close range in her Lot 149, Sixth Street home around 11.45 pm on Tuesday night by two men who broke in and demanded cash. After Mohamed told the men she did not have any money, the gunman placed his weapon to her chin and shot her dead.
While her murder was initially suspected to be the result of a robbery, Commander of ‘B’ Division, Ian Amsterdam, when contacted, stated that the police are investigating all possible leads, including that the mother of four may have been killed in a staged robbery. He noted that the perpetrators did not escape with valuables or cash. “We are working on some other information coming into us, information from both locally and overseas, that we need to look in a different direction that it may have been an execution that was ordered allegedly by another female,” he told Stabroek News. “We have to dig a little deeper, we have some persons we are talking to and we are looking at some other areas,” he noted, while adding that persons are being called in for questioning as information is received.
Stabroek News was told that it is believed that Mohamed was involved with a married man, also of Tain, Corentyne, and whose overseas-based wife is being seen as a suspect in her death.
Police are working on questioning the man who is involved with Mohamed as well, this newspaper was told.
Currently, a 25-year-old Tain, Corentyne resident is in custody assisting with the investigation.
Meanwhile, an autopsy revealed that Mohamed died from shock and haemorrhage due to gunshots wounds, laceration of the brain and a fractured skull.
Meanwhile, according to information gathered, Mohamed’s previous home in Bloomfield Village, Corentyne, was burned down some years ago. The fire was suspected to be as a result of arson.