Suspect in Rio Claro businessman’s murder at large

The investigation into the fatal shooting of 58-year-old businessman Sylvan ‘Lawah’ Boodan in Rio Claro remains ongoing, with the perpetrator still at large. Boodan, owner of Gloria’s Bar located at Jeffers Crossing on Tabaquite Road, was tragically gunned down on the morning of November 3. The incident occurred around 8:30 am on the premises of R. Baldeosingh Services Ltd (RBSL), a construction company in Poole Village, Rio Claro, where Boodan worked as a straightener and painter. Witnesses reported that an unidentified masked man approached Boodan near his car, called him by name, and after a brief exchange, fired a single shot. The assailant fled the scene, leaving Boodan to collapse and die in front of his vehicle. A relative suggested the murder might be connected to a dispute involving unpaid services to a spiritual advisor, or ‘obeah man,’ earlier this year. However, police have yet to confirm the motive. An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted this week at the Forensic Science Centre in St. James. The Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Region Three, is leading the case.