Businessman was beaten to death

WESTERN Division police and officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) said yesterday they are working on several theories that will lead them to the arrest of the person or persons who kidnapped and murdered businessman Vernon Roopnarine. However, up to late evening, no arrests had been made.  Cpl Dennison Henry of the Maraval Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is continuing enquiries, spearheaded by Sr Supt Stephen Quashie. A post mortem performed yesterday by pathologist Dr Eastlyn McDonald-Burris revealed that the businessman was beaten to death. The autopsy report said Roopnarine died as a result of blunt trauma to the head and body.  It also said that there was a possibility of ligature strangulation. The ligature strangulation, according to police, means that Roopnarine was not strangled by one’s hands, but by a piece of cloth or something close.

The autopsy report also revealed that six of the businessman’s ribs and right arm were broken.  The autopsy was performed at the Forensic Sciences Complex and police said Roopnarine had been dead in excess of 36 hours. The autopsy was witnessed by investigator Cpl Henry and Roopnarine’s son, Darryl, and brother, Boysie. Roopnarine, 56, owner of Refinery and Industrial Fabrication Limited, was kidnapped from outside his Sum Sum Hill, Claxton Bay home last Thursday night. He was reportedly beaten before he was bundled into the back of a silver Honda Civic vehicle.  Last Saturday morning the kidnappers contacted Roopnarine’s relatives and demanded a $3 million for his safe release. However, Roopnarine’s decomposed body was found early Tuesday morning in some bushes some 20 feet over a cliff on Morne Coco Road, Petit Valley. The businessman was gagged, blind-folded, hogtied with a piece of rope around his neck and was bareback.  Roopnarine will be cremated tomorrow at Mosquito Creek following a funeral service at the house of mourning, Sum Sum Hill, Claxton Bay.