Morvant massacre mirrors ‘Chadee Gang’ murders

Jones’ desire was dashed last Monday when WPC Elizabeth Sutherland, her husband, her 21-year-old daughter and an acquaintance were killed in one of the most gory multiple murders since Chadee’s gang left four members of the Baboolal family dead in their home.

The Baboolal murders took place during 1994, a year in which there were 146 murders. The statistic was at the time considered high but stands 222 killings below the present context which includes the 368 murders which occurred last year.

One of the most gripping aspects of the murders was the young lives spared by what may be considered as the hand of fate, timely good fortune or an act of God.

January 10, 1994 was the day that then 13-year old Osmond Baboolal and his 7-year-old sister Haematie bore the brunt of chilling reality after their family was killed by the notorious Chadee Gang.

During the 15-minute Chadee Gang visit to the Baboolal’s Williamsville home the fearful but fortunate children successfully hid in their parents bedroom amid the sound of gunfire. One bullet each ripped through the forehead of their mother, Rookmin and siblings Monica and Hamilton.

The bloodshed wasn’t confined to the Baboolal’s living room as the children’s unfortunate father, Deo, only made it partially up the steps to the family’s front door. He was greeted and killed by a hail of gunfire in his front yard.

The reported instruction from Chadee regarding the hit was, “kill everybody.”

During the 56-day trial it was revealed that Chadee specified that the order was inclusive of children.

However, the trial also revealed that Chadee Gang member turned State Witness Levi Morris had found room in his heart to spare the children by not pointing out their presence to his accomplices.

The children emerged from the bedroom to view the carnage left by the “brutal murders” to which Justice Jones referred.

Last Monday five-year-old Ailee Sutherland escaped the Morvant massacre but the terrified child was later found hiding in a dark corner of her home glaring at the lifeless bodies of her grandmother WPC Sutherland, her grandfather Ivan, aunt Anika and family acquaintance Kevin Serrette.

Police sources have revealed that miraculously the killers ran out of ammunition after having already pointed the gun in the child’s direction.

Young Ailee is thought to be the only witness to the murders and is now in protective custody along with her mother, aunt and uncle.

The girl managed to escape the impact of an instruction similar to Chadee’s “kill everybody” order as police sources revealed to Sunday Newsday that the person who ordered the hit on the Sutherland family had ordered the gunmen to, “kill everyone and spare no one.”

Regarding the experience of young Ailee and the Baboolal children a psychologist attached to a prominent local psychological consultancy firm explained, “that sort of trauma may cause many things, this child can absolutely block it from her mind. You may be asking them about the incident later in life and they might respond by saying that they have no idea what you are talking about.”

“They may become introverted, don’t socialise, don’t’ talk to anyone. If the child witnessed a murder, a gunshot may cause her to wet her bed. The child may also have fear of attachment because trust is going to be a huge issue,” said the psychologist who wished for the identity of both the firm and herself to remain anonymous.

“Then they may become someone who loses faith in life, because everything they believe in was snatched at a very early age.”

Some of the people who experience such trauma grow up with a hate until they fall into a life of crime themselves. The psychologist said however that this is more likely in males.

“The child may experience total loss of appetite, inability to sleep by themselves and some stop talking again, I mean completely... they just never speak again.”

The healthiest thing for the child is grief therapy. Family is very important now but it is difficult for them to be there for themselves much less for the child.

When asked if the effect of such a horrific experience could be reversed the psychologist replied, “reverse is a very strong word, it’s misleading. There is no way that magically you’d forget. You never forget, you just don’t, it is there with you.”

The gory sights which may remain repressed in the minds of Ailee and the Baboolal children both came as a result of calculated execution-style methods.

(The term “execution-style” has been applied to the heinous and heartless murders of many including several Nazi killings.)

Shots fired directly to the head of the three murdered Baboolal’s killed them instantly.

Newsday’s January 25 lead story highlighted the fact that the Morvant murders were also carried out in popular execution-style.

The victims were shot to the back of the head and according to police reports, the angle of entry of the bullets indicates that the victims were made to kneel before having their lives taken.

Each of these eight lives was taken by calculated and premeditated acts.

The nefarious nine-member Chadee Gang rose to prominence as henchmen of the drug-lord. Their exploits have become folklore in their base area of Piparo and the rest of the nation.

Following their $15 million trial and subsequent hangings, none of their prior acts of violence stands out as does the Baboolal murders.

Although official police sources have not revealed whether or not the Morvant murders were carried out by a group of organised henchmen, the notorious Defor Gang was the target of a full scale Special Anti-Crime Unit of Trinidad and Tobago (SAUTT) manhunt immediately after the murders.

Six suspects were later held for questioning but two were released.

Although the motives behind both events remain a matter of speculation and off-the-record statements police sources have said that the Morvant murders may have been based on the fact that WPC Sutherland was suspected of providing information that led to the imprisonment of a well-known gang leader.

Police investigations into the Morvant murders are continuing.