Duo sent to jail for Dr. Colin Roach’s murder

One week after Dr Colin Roach was found murdered at his Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown office, two men were on Tuesday morning charged with his murder and remanded to jail.

The alleged mastermind, Hilton Oliver Junior Franklin, 25, of Best Village, West Coast Demerara (WCD), and Lenrick Mosai Byass, 18, were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

They were not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleged that on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, they murdered Dr Roach during the course or furtherance of a robbery.

The two murder accused will return to court on November 30.

Dr Roach who owned and operated the International Medical Clinic at Lot 111 Duke Street, Kingston Georgetown was found bludgeoned to death on the floor of his office at around 22:20hrs, last Tuesday.

He was found lying face-up, his trousers were pulled down to his knees, and his COVID-19 vaccination card was placed neatly on his stomach.

His cellphones and his white Audi SUV, PXX 4000 were missing. Dr. Roach’s two male employees had told police that they last saw him alive around 15:00 hrs that day, when he closed his clinic.

The employee who found Dr. Roach’s body said he and his colleague had left the physician in his office.

The employee further stated that he retired to his living quarters, located on the top flat of the building while his colleague went out.

The employee said that at around 20:00hrs, he saw a man leaving the building. The man allegedly re-entered the clinic about seven minutes later.

Around 22:18hrs, the employee heard Roach’s SUV driving away from in front of the building. He peeped outside and saw the vehicle heading north.

According to the worker, he later observed that Dr. Roach had apparently forgotten to turn off the lights in his office.

He allegedly called his employer, but his cellphone rang out. He then went into Dr. Roach’s office and found his body lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Ranks from the Guyana Police Force’s Major Crimes Investigations Unit were able to crack the case by reviewing CCTV cameras.

One day after the killing, Police recovered Dr Roach’s car at Schoonard, West Bank Demerara.

It was reported that Franklin and his accomplice arrived at the doctor’s office in a rented black car and left in the doctor’s vehicle.

Franklin was nabbed at Springlands, Corentyne, Berbice just as he was about to head to Suriname by boat via the backtrack route.

Bypass was arrested at his workplace, a call centre at Robb Street, Georgetown. At the time of Franklin’s arrest, he was found in possession of two rings belonging to the doctor.

Police ranks later searched his backyard and recovered one of the dead doctor’s phone, an iPhone. It was reported that Franklin and his accomplice plotted to rob Dr Roach to accumulate money to buy a new car.

Franklin and Bypass were charged with the capital offence of murder based on advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).