Jury unable to reach verdict against man accused of killing businesswoman, young sons

A 12 member jury on Friday night was unable to reach a verdict in the case of the September 2012 murders of Anna Catherina liquor store owner Jennifer Persaud and her two young sons.

The jury, after almost four hours, was unable to return a unanimous verdict against Abishai Caesar, 34, formerly of Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo who is charged with three counts of murder.

Justice Brassington Reynolds, who presided over the matter at the High Court, told Caesar that he would have to face a retrial at the next practical sitting of the Demerara Assizes. Caesar was remanded back to prison.

The three charges against Caesar alleged that between September 21-22, 2012 at Sea View Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara he murdered 41-year-old Jennifer Persaud called ‘Jenny’ and her two children Afridi Bacchus, 6 and Jadon Ernest, 17 months.

Caesar was represented by Attorney-at-law Maxwell McKay while Prosecutor  Lisa Cave appeared on behalf of the State.

According to reports, the house was broken into during a robbery and the woman and her two children were killed. At the time, Caesar was the woman’s neighbour.

Government Pathologist, Dr. V. Brijmohan, on September 24, 2012, gave the cause of their deaths as haemorrhage and shock due to stab wounds.

In April 2016, investigators were able to arrest Caesar after his reputed wife went to the Police and told them that he murdered Persaud and her sons during a home invasion.