A Railway Line, Rosignol resident who went on the run after a brutal 2021 killing has been sentenced to 13 years behind bars. The sentence was handed down this week by Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Berbice High Court, bringing an end to a case that gripped the West Berbice community for years.
Thirty-one-year-old Shane Samaroo, also known as Travis Cortis, was found guilty by a jury for the August 19, 2021 killing of Feroze “Eggy” Khan, a 48-year-old Carriage Road resident.
According to the case presented in court, Khan was walking past a grocery shop at Bennet Dam, Rosignol, when Samaroo suddenly launched an attack. Armed with a piece of wood, he struck Khan multiple times. Even after Khan collapsed, the assault continued—Samaroo pulled a knife and stabbed him. A post-mortem later confirmed that Khan died from a stab wound which pierced his heart.
The killing sparked a manhunt. Police issued a wanted bulletin for Samaroo four days after the incident, but he managed to slip through their grasp for months. He was eventually captured in Black Bush Polder. Investigators also arrested his mother during the search, accusing her of helping him hide while he was evading law enforcement.
At sentencing, defence attorney Kevin Edmondson made submissions on Samaroo’s behalf, but the judge maintained that a custodial sentence was necessary given the nature of the crime.
Justice Kissoon ordered that Samaroo serve 13 years in prison, and also recommended that he undergo anger management and alcohol rehabilitation while incarcerated. The judge said the programmes would be essential to his rehabilitation as he prepares for reintegration into society.
