Relatives of Aubrey Richardson, a 61-year-old resident of Kuru Kururu village on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, who was shot and killed during a robbery in August, are calling for justice, and are expressing deep mistrust in the police’s handling of the investigation into his death.
Richardson’s family members fear that those responsible for death may never be brought to justice.
Known by many as “Gooby”, Richardson was shot during an incident that occurred at Sattie’s Shop in Yarrowkabra, a community along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, on August 24, and succumbed to his injuries a few days later.
His daughter Phylicia Adams recounted that her father had left their home with a friend at around 20:00h to visit the shop, but never returned. She said she found the circumstances surrounding her father’s visit to the shop suspicious, because “they were in the shop, and went to buy dhal puri for the next day; which sounds strange, because my dad doesn’t eat stuff with peas because he suffered from burn stomach.”
Ms Adams explained that Richardson’s friend told them they were in the shop when a man entered, bought $200 in cigarettes, and left. Moments later, a voice said, “Don’t move!” and Richardson turned around jokingly and asked, “Who is that?” before the assailant shoved him.
“By the time he could catch his balance, he was shot in the back…he was in ICU, and died like two weeks after,” Ms Adams revealed.
She detailed that Richardson had been left bleeding on the ground for a significant period of time before anyone responded to his pleas for help.
“He was left (lying) on the ground, bleeding profusely for quite some time before his friends who were present heeded his plea for them to call his son,” she said.
Family members eventually rushed Richardson to the hospital in a bus he owned, after picking up his son at “Jamoon Tree” in Kuru Kururu.
She said it is more than a month since this shooting incident occurred, and the family remains disheartened by the lack of progress in the police investigation.
A post-mortem had revealed that Richardson died from septic shock caused by injuries sustained from a gunshot wound, but Adams is claiming that family members later discovered he had been shot multiple times. This, she contends, raises suspicions about the true nature of the incident.
Adams has voiced concerns about a possible cover-up, alleging that individuals involved in the crime were known to the shop owner and her husband.
“While at the hospital, my mom overheard them (the shop owners) saying that one of the men’s names was ‘Cartoon’ …we believe this was a deliberate act…first of all, they don’t really open that place, and on that night, it was open late,” she said.
Family members are growing increasingly frustrated with the GPF’s lack of transparency and cooperation in this matter, Ms Adams has said. “The police have not been telling us anything. They are not being transparent with us,” she explained. “When we try to speak to them, some of them, especially the Commander, are very dismissive. We received word that this is the plan by the police…we were told that a bribe was passed, since the two suspects are allegedly the shop owners’ relatives…we believe they are trying to drag out the situation so eventually we are going to become frustrated…We don’t trust the police.”
Family members firmly believe there is more to Richardson’s death than just a robbery gone wrong, and are adamant that a thorough and transparent investigation is necessary. They are urging the authorities to follow every lead and ensure justice is served for Aubrey Richardson.
