AFTER nine years on the run, a 34-year-old man was charged with the murder of a woman during an armed robbery at Agricola Public Road in 2008.

Sylvester Vanderhyden of Block ‘A’ Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Thursday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court and was not required to plead to the indictable offence.

It is alleged that on November 5, 2008 at Agricola, East Bank Demerara, he murdered Melissa Payne. The accused did not have legal representation and was remanded to prison until May 10, 2017; the matter was transferred to City Magistrate, Leron Daly.

According to reports, Payne was killed after she attempted to put up a fight with gunmen who attacked her and a male friend, at Agricola Public Road, at about 8:30hrs on November 5, 2008.

The gunmen escaped with some $110,000 in cash that was in the woman’s bag along with her jewellery. At the time of the robbery, she was in the company of a male friend, David Fraser, as they were heading to Georgetown to conduct business.

It is reported that as they approached Agricola, the Canter truck in which they were traveling in, encountered mechanical problems. Fraser came out and tried to fix the truck, as Payne stood and watched him. A few moments later, a man came up to them with a gun and demanded their money.  The armed man snatched Fraser’s gold chain and attempted to pull away Payne’s handbag.

She attempted to turn back and go to the truck, but was stopped in her tracks by the other bandit, who demanded the bag from Payne but the woman resisted and the armed man shot and killed her.

In November 2008, Jermaine Savory of 97 Second Street, Agricola, was charged with the murder of Payne. Savory had confessed to investigators that he had participated in the robbery but was not the trigger man.