Prime Suspect in Murder of Woman and Child on the Run

27th of December, 2020. Georgetown, Guyana, South America.

As anger and outrage grow and cries for justice echo across the nation of Guyana, South America, the prime suspect in the murder of a young Guyanese woman and her child has gone into hiding or is on the run. Joel Rodrigues, who shared a relationship with the victim and her daughter, is a Cuban national who had migrated to Guyana some years ago. Speculatively, he may be seeking an exit point into Brazil or Suriname or back home to Cuba. The police have launched a manhunt to intercept or dig him out of the hole he may be hiding in.

Reports are that on the evening of the 25th of December, 2020, the suspect and his reputed wife, 34 year old Tara Krishnaran, were involved in a domestic dispute in their backyard after which the suspect followed the young woman and her 11-years old daughter into the house and murdered them. This is according to the father of the young woman who said he did not expect the quarrel to end in a double murder since, as he relates, it was not unusual for the family to have heated altercations from time to time.

The father of the young woman says that he was unaware that his daughter and granddaughter had been murdered by his “son-in-law” until the next day (26th of December, 2020) when he observed no movements around the house. It was then that he realized that he himself had been locked into the house by the suspect who had fled the scene. The elderly man then went into the room of his daughter where he came face to face with the heartrending scene.

Some reports suggest that the child may have been raped by the suspect prior to the murder, however, this is still to be determined by a postmortem examination and/or forensic experts. As of this time, the immediate circumstances leading up to the death of the victims are still to be determined while some aspects of it can only be speculated upon.

Police have recovered a hammer and a knife from the crime scene next to the bodies of the victims. Tara’s body sustained wounds to the back of the head, left side temple and left side of the face. Her daughter, 11 years old Larissa Singh, sustained a six-inch wound to the neck and blood was also observed on her private parts – leading to suspicions that the child might have raped before the murder.

Team Guyana South America calls on all citizens of Guyana and police to be on high alert especially at border locations and ports of exit.

We also urge you to refrain from making negative comments about the victims in this situation. Let’s not blame the victim. Bear in mind that criminals often mask their true colors and no one can see into the mind of another.

Further, we look forward to hearing the positive news of the arrest of this criminal.

The photos below are intended to help you identify the suspect. If you have any information that may lead to the apprehension Joel Rodrigues, please call the police on (592) 227-1149 or contact your nearest police station.

Please bear in mind that the suspect may have taken steps to alter his appearance or put on a disguise.

Advisory: The suspect is innocent until proven guilty. If you see or come in contact with the suspect, please do not harm him or otherwise take the law into your hands. Instead, contact the police so as to facilitate a lawful arrest and trial.