Police Detective tells COI 15-year-old gang member related Lindo Creek killings

According to the caution statement which was taken from Williams in the presence of two pastors and two police officers, the fine man gang of which he was a member tied up the miners and took up residence at the camp. 

Police Detective tells COI 15-year-old gang member related Lindo Creek killings

As the Lindo Creek Massacre Commission of Inquiry hearing continued this morning, attention focused on alleged statements that were made to the Police by a former teenage member of the Fineman Criminal Gang.

At the hearing this morning,  Police Superintendent Trevor Reid recalled the youth recalling the murders at Lindo Creek and that recollection painted a grisly picture of the killing of eight miners.

Mr. Reid took the stand before the ongoing Commission of Inquiry, recalling his role as the officer in charge of the Police Major Crimes Investigation Department back in 2008.

He recalled taking a statement from Dwayne Williams, an alleged member of the fine man gang,who was fifteen years old at the time.

In that statement, the Police said the youth recalled seeing another gang member setting fire to the eight men.

Reid read the statement he took from Williams, in which Williams recounted being confronted by “persons in camouflaged clothing” at Christmas Falls and being driven out of the area.

The gang’s search for safety led them to Lindo Creek days later where they reportedly encountered the miners.

According to the caution statement which was taken from Williams in the presence of two pastors and two police officers, the fine man gang of which he was a member tied up the miners and took up residence at the camp.

Williams also recalled the gang making tea and feeding the miners after they were prevented from leaving the area because of continuous rainfall.

The statement, which Reid vowed was a true statement, also recalled the gang using the the camp to cook chowmein but Williams said while he was asleep on the third night of being at the camp, he was awakened by the sound of gunshots.

In the written statement, the youth reportedly claimed that he then saw “them shot up the man them” and soon after he saw ‘Magic’, who was another gang member, throwing gasoline on the men before proceeding to light them afire.

Reid told the Commission that ‘Magic’ is Cecil Ramcharran who was shot and killed subsequently.

Continuing with Williams’ statement, Reid said Williams claimed they left the next morning after the killing of the miners but he got separated from the other gang members, headed by Rondell “fineman” Rawlins and secured a ride from a truck driver.

He was subsequently arrested by “police in plain clothes” at a shop later that day.

Williams made no mention in the caution statement of who the shooter(s) was.

Reid pointed out that Williams had offered a different recount of the events to the media at the time, failing to own up to his claims that the gang was responsible for the murder of the miners.

Reid said Williams was arrested on the 16th of June 2008 and taken to CID headquarters in Georgetown where he told the police of a number of crimes committed by the gang.

It wasn’t until the bodies were discovered on June 20th that he reportedly returned to provide the caution statement implicating the gang in the Lindo Creek massacre.

Williams is in jail on remand for a number of other incidents. Its unclear whether he will be called before the Commission to offer evidence.

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