Gunman fires on wake, mourners dive for cover

A week after Adio Julien’s throat was slit and his body dumped in a pond near his home, a gunman disrupted his wake at South Oropouche, firing several shots and sending mourners scampering for safety. Police believe the gunshots were fired as a warning to Julien’s relatives. Investigators said around 1.05 am on Tuesday, Kelon Marchan, 26, of Dow Village, South Oropouche, was attending Julien’s wake at Spanish Mill Road, Berridge Trace, South Oropouche, when he walked out of the road with three other men.

It was reported a man dressed in black, with a black bandana over his face, ran up to them, pulled out a pistol and began firing at Marchan. He ran a short distance away and hid in some bushes. Oropouche Police responded in minutes but could not apprehend the gunman and no spent shells were recovered. Julien was murdered two Saturdays ago as he headed to a friend’s home to cook a meal. His body was found stuck in a pond used to water plants.

His mother, Debra Jeffrey, told police a day before Julien was killed, a man came to her home, showed her two bullets and told her: “Moms, no disrespect but these are for your son.” Police later arrested a 37-year-old man and believe Julien was killed after he stole $150,000 worth of marijuana from a drug dealer in Oropouche.

An autopsy on Julien’s body at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, by pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov confirmed he was killed before being thrown into the pond. Alexandrov said Julien was shot in the kneecap and his throat was also slit. The report said the cut was so deep it went to the spinal bone, severing his jugular vein, his trachea (windpipe) and his aesophagus. Julien was cremated at Belgroves Funeral home, San Fernando, yesterday.