One in custody for murder of Vendor

A 26-year-old man is in police custody following the robbery and murder of a businessman of Lot ‘ZZ’ 22 D’Urban Street, Georgetown.

Godfrey Scipio, a 59-year-old Vendor originally from Number 42 Village, West Coast Berbice, was shot and killed as he was entering his car at Stanley Place, Kitty on Thursday night, shortly after leaving a hotel with a female companion.

According to the police, on Thursday Scipio called “Saga” picked up a female and went to a city hotel and at about 16:20hrs as they were entering his vehicle, a lone gunman pounced on them and demanded cash and jewellery. The suspect discharged a round, hitting Scipio in the abdomen and relieved him of his jewellery before escaping on foot in a northern direction.

Scipio was taken to a city Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical treatment.

News Room today visited the area where Scipio has been vending for over 20 years.

According to other vendors at the park, Scipio was always a pleasant person and is not known to have any issues with anyone. One of the man’s friends who is a minibus conductor, Orson Edwards, disclosed that he last saw Scipio aka “Saga” on Thursday morning.

“He leff and he went away but when I came back to town on my second trip, he wasn’t out here so I make attempt to call him, but how the work had me loading my bus, I didn’t get the time. Ah say when ah go home, ah gon call he. When ah reach home, ah watch the time and was 5:30, ah say ah gon go and play basketball and when ah done, ah gon call he. When I come back, I see some missed calls and I return one of the calls, I was told that he was shot and like when I finished bathing, the news come that he passed away. Its hard to believe he is not here with us anymore,” he told News Room.

He added that he has known the man for approximately eight years and he has always been a good friend. “I working bus out here, and he

“I working bus out here, and he tek me under he wings, he does give me good advice, me and he turn really good friends. Every morning before me bus load, I does be sitting out here with him so when I get the news yesterday, it was hard,” Edwards related.

The body is at the Lyken’s Funeral Parlour awaiting a post-mortem.