Murdered farmer, 2 sons laid to rest in Couva

A father to all and a devout Christian is the way the daughter of slain farmer Buddy George will remember him. George, 59, and his two sons Jeremiah, 20, and Marcus Buddy, 37, were among four people killed execution-style by men dressed as police officers in Mayaro last Monday. Family friend Dion Keyon Mendoza was also killed.

Speaking to a small and intimate congregation at the Pioneer Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Couva, George’s emotional daughter Lauren, who was also present at the killing, described him as a beacon of light to her and others.

“To all who knew my father, he was not a father to me alone. He was a father to all. He was always inspiring, encouraging, and motivating others not to limit yourself in any aspect of life. He was a great leader to all, including his children, a man of vision. He was a beacon of light in my life. He taught his children to believe in the God of Moses and his son Jesus Christ,” she said.

“One life lesson Daddy taught me, and has always stuck with me through thick and thin (is) that when you reach a point in life when it is impossible, pray and ask Jesus with a good heart, and Jesus will make it possible.”

Lauren described her brothers as men of upstanding character and was happy to have been a part of their lives. She also offered condolences to Mendoza’s family, saying he was like a son to her father.

Traumatized by the sight of loved ones being executed in front of her, she said she was finding her strength in Jesus and trusting in God’s plan.

“We may never understand why (this happened) but we know, as Christians, He has a plan. We have to hold the faith.”

In a sermon that focused on not letting circumstances determine who you are, pastor Donnie Balgobin also urged congregants to stay strong in their faith, especially when loved ones are taken in such a tragic manner.

“One thing I can tell you is that God had no part in this. God did not guide the men who did this heinous act. God did not pull the trigger that fired the gun, and it is not God’s way to call men home,” he said.

He said the pain and suffering left behind cannot be doused by justice or even revenge, but rather by the love of God.

A police report said around 12.30 am on March 11, the four men went to sleep in the Basil Trace, Bristol Village, Mayaro camp where they cultivated cocoa, but were awakened by shouts of, “Police, police.” They were confronted by six armed men, all dressed in police operational wear. The assailants made them lie on the ground, then shot them at close range and ran off. Lauren, one of her sisters, and her one-year-old nephew were at the camp but were spared.

Relatives, who wished to remain anonymous, previously told Newsday gangs had threatened the family several times, and an attempt was made on Marcus’s life about a year ago. They believe although a report was made to the police, it was not taken seriously, and said if action had been taken, their loved ones would still be here.

Police sources said investigations were ongoing and appealed to the public to come forward with any information that could help capture the killers. They were also unable to confirm whether gangsters killed the men.

After the killings, Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher described them as a national concern, drawing the focus of several agencies. She also expressed concern over the killers’ use of police clothing and blue lights.