Accused in the Corentyne double-murder remanded

By Farah Bates-Ali

The 49-year-old man accused of stabbing to death two Corentyne brothers and injuring two others on the No. 43 Public Road, East Berbice – Corentyne (Region Six) was on Friday morning charged and remanded to prison.

The man, Vernon Rangadoo, appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore at the No. 51 Magistrates’ Court where the indictable charges were read to him. He was not required to plea.

The charges state that on Sunday, January 31, 2021 he murdered 23-year-old Mahendra ‘Sunny’ Ramoutar and 25-year-old Surendra ‘ Ranga’ Rahgunandan at No. 43 Village.

Village Voice News understands that the accused admitted to stabbing the victims about their bodies following a family row.

Rangadoo reportedly told investigators that his brother, Randolph Richmond and his wife were having an argument next door and the woman’s son, Mahendra intervened.

He also said that Richmond called out to him for help since the young man was intervening in the argument and that was when he decided to attack both brothers.

Both Mahendra and Surendra lived with their mother, Sookmattie Richmond, who is injured and a patient of the New Amsterdam Hospital and their step-father, Randolph Richmond.

During a telephone interview with the Village Voice News this morning, Sookmattie Richmond who is expected to be discharged from the New Amsterdam Hospital later today, said she was at home on Sunday last when she and her husband argued.

“He does always drink and cuss and fight but I don’t bother with him and we does talk back the next day, all relationship get problem but we does try and make things work. I was downstairs with my big son and he run out saying, mommy look uncle Vernon stabbing Sunny. I run out and see blood and me and the other brother tried to save him but Vernon stab my next son same time and I was in between and I get stab too,” the injured woman recounted.

Sookmattie said she received a deep wound to her breast that required several stitches.

“I’m feeling a little better now. I have some pain and my pressure is very high but hopefully it go down soon so they can discharge me today,” she told Village Voice News.

Meanwhile, a Post Mortem Examination conducted on the brothers revealed that Mahendra, died as a result of shock, hemorrhage and stab wounds to the abdomen and thorax while Surendra died as a result of shock and hemorrhage, collapsed lungs and multiple stab wounds to the chest.

The grieving mother said she is devastated by the tragic incident but is thankful that the Police were able to arrest the suspect.

“That is the right thing they do. Justice gatto be serve because how he can just stab up and kill my two sons. I want him to stay in jail. With what happen I don’t think I can go back #43 and live,” the devastated woman told Village Voice News.

Rangadoo is expected to return to court on April 23, 2021 for a Police process report.