It is the immediate expectation of any family that has lost one of their numbers

to the ghastly act of murder, that the assailant(s) be apprehended and be brought to justice. Though this perceived action must be extended to other instances of criminality, it is certainly more urgent in the case of a homicide. And this is because of the sudden, violent nature of the act, and of course – the loss of a human being.
As is the daily experience, the emotions that are derived from the grief felt by those concerned, are very high. After all, it may be the sole breadwinner of a home, whether a husband, son, or even grandson.
It has been the local experience of grave disappointment with the Guyana Police Service over the high numbers of unsolved murders, inclusive of those that are of the execution types, categorised in investigative terminology as ‘Hits’. This particular category is even more complex, taking into consideration the dangerous dynamics that are proven to be behind these vengeful and well planned murders.
A particularly common complaint from relatives is of supplying information to investigators which they perceive is vital, and would help to secure them justice. But the cries are always unanimously the same – inaction on the part of the police.
Since the well known criticisms of the local crime investigators as they relate to such instances are well documented, it need not detain us here. Of importance to note is the fact that there is another side to this issue of investigating serious crimes such as murder.
Murders are a very peculiar category. They comprise of those that are witnessed; and those that are not. In the first instance there is the presumption that since the first type has witnesses, that they will willingly come forward and as good citizens who believe in law and order, supply the necessary information to investigators that will prosecute the alleged suspects. But the track record has revealed otherwise – these witnesses are not prepared to voluntarily give any detail to investigators. This forms the first critical challenge for lawmen. This moves to the second level, of having to depend on what intelligence gathering has provided.
Even though this type of data may first appear to be good, evidence has shown that when thoroughly sifted, the evidence gathered is not strong enough as to institute charges against alleged suspects. The bottom line is that suspects should only be charged where there is sufficient, credible evidence that provides very strong links to the murder. This must be able to secure a conviction before any reasonable court.
Even in cases of murder that are committed by family members on family members, there are difficulties in evidence gathering that can lead to the suspect. There is the usual stony silence, with the often “not knowing what happened” as the usual refrain. Silence means that the alleged murderer remains a free person, with the police unfortunately being blamed for not doing enough to solve the crime. How can investigators penetrate the wall of silence in such circumstances?
Thus it comes to the inevitable necessity of having those persons who have vital information about such a serious act as murder, do their civic duty by supplying information to the relevant authorities. However, it is the absence of this important ingredient that often hampers investigators in their pursuit of these dangerous suspects.
One must conclude that it is the mission of every criminal investigation to apprehend every murderer. But such can only occur with the unreserved assistance from the public. Unfortunately, this represents the greatest problem regarding the many unsolved murders; and why the victims’ families are still crying out for justice.