Man admits to shooting sleeping family; also confesses to executing man in minibus

Orpheus Johnson, on Tuesday, confessed to killing two men in 2015, along with the attempted murder of a woman and her 18-month-old son, which occurred in 2015.

Johnson, formerly of Second Street, Craig Village, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was charged with two counts of murder but opted to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter when he appeared before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the Demerara High Court.

He admitted that on April 22, 2015, at Agricola, EBD, he unlawfully killed Gladstone George.  On the day in question, 32-year-old George, called ‘Brother’, of Agricola, was a passenger in a minibus. When the bus stopped at Agricola, Johnson came up to the window and discharged two rounds at him. George was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Johnson also admitted that on June 21, 2015, he unlawfully killed Travis Rudder at Republic Park, EBD.  He also admitted that on the same day and location, he discharged a loaded firearm at Rudder’s reputed wife, Mawanza Gill, and their then 18-month-old son, Jaleel Rudder, with the intent to commit murder.

According to reports, 26-year-old Rudder was killed in his bed after a gunman pumped 21 bullets into his body through a bedroom window of his home. The mother of Rudder’s child, Gill, who was residing with him, was shot seven times, with four bullets hitting her in one leg and another three in the other leg. The couple’s 18 month-old baby was injured in the shooting, receiving five bullets about his body.

Justice Kissoon deferred sentencing to May 3, 2021, and ordered that a probation report is prepared for Johnson.  The State was represented by prosecutors Tyra Bakker and Lisa Cave while Johnson was represented by attorney-at-law, Rachael Bakker.