BODY IN CESSPIT

Police believe the body is that of the missing man Deoraj Bedassie. Police said the body was chopped into pieces and the parts stuffed in a black garbage bag and dumped in the cesspit.

A 25-year-old villager was assisting police with their investigations up to late yesterday.

At about 1.30 pm, police officers of the Homicide Region Three went to Bedassie’s house along Black Street, Reform Village.

They spent several hours searching the forested area before they made the gruesome discovery.

Bedassie, who lived alone, was last seen alive by relatives at his home on March 26, his birthday.

One day later, relatives found blood stains in his gallery and contacted police officers. A missing person’s report was also made at the Gasparillo Police Station.

At the scene yesterday, relatives told Newsday Bedassie had complained to them on several occasions about being beaten by a group of villagers who wanted him to move out of the area.

Bedassie’s niece Cindy Benjamin said the villagers had also threatened her uncle. She said on each occasion he was beaten he reported the incident to police.

“Only a few months ago I remember seeing my uncle with bruises all over his body and he told us that he was beaten by these men,” an emotional Benjamin said.

Police have also obtained information from an eyewitness who saw three men planassing Bedassie in his gallery on the night he disappeared. The eyewitness reported that she heard Bedassie scream out in pain and pleaded with his attackers to desist from harming him.

It is believed that Bedassie was beaten in the gallery of his home and dragged to the back of his house as there was a trail of blood in the backyard.

“We have been searching everywhere for the past ten days for him and nothing,” Benjamin said.

“We searched health centres, hospitals, we called relatives and his friends. But because of the blood in the house I knew he was hurt. Whoever did this is not human but a monster. My uncle did not deserve this. These people are heartless.” Benjamin said Bedassie wanted to spend a peaceful birthday.

“He left home that morning and told us he just wanted to spend the day liming with friends. He did so and came home in the evening and that was when he was attacked.” Investigators said DNA samples will be taken from relatives to confirm the identity. The body parts were sent to the Forensic Science Centre for further testing.

Villagers told Newsday that for the past few days they had been getting a foul stench near the house.

Member of Parliament for the area Rodney Charles, in a media release, extended condolences to the family. Charles said the discovery of the body has now cast a dark shadow over the quiet area of Black Street.

“The wanton disregard for human life is evident as bodies are strewn on our streets on a daily basis,” he said. “A sense of hopelessness pervades our nation.”