POLICE and relatives of senior citizen, Eustace Marcellino, searched in vain for the missing man at Mabaruma on Monday and the man’s daughter remains a prime suspect in his disappearance.

The 85-year-old man went missing two Sundays ago and relatives later discovered his shoes and a cutlass some distance away from his North West District home. He resided opposite the Guyana Defence Force base, Camp Everard, near the Mabaruma Airstrip.

On Monday, the man’s daughter told this newspaper that she and her siblings travelled from Georgetown over the weekend to search for her father. She said a search commenced on Monday morning and according to her, traces of blood were discovered on the man’s net at his home where he lived with one of his daughters.

She said the police visited the home and took the net, as well as pieces of the man’s clothing and a sheet, which were found aback the home in an area which was freshly de-bushed. Police Commander, Rabindanauth Budhram told the Guyana Chronicle on Monday that the man’s disappearance is being investigated by ranks at Mabaruma.

The man’s 43-year old daughter was questioned by the police and a statement was taken from her as regards his disappearance. The man lived with his daughter and relatives became worried about his safety after information surfaced that she visited the Post Office in the area one day after he went missing and collected his pension by allegedly forging his signature.

According to a relative, Marcellino had been in a feeble state for months. The suspect has been in the habit of “beating” the elderly man and since his disappearance on April 02, relatives believe he may have been harmed. Another of the man’s daughter told this newspaper that Marcellino’s belongings were packed in a fowl pen aback the home, where he was last seen. She said that her sister has been uncooperative as regards finding their father. The woman called on the police to question her sister again since the woman has told residents that she was planning to leave the area for Suriname.