“My brother was the best!” sister of singer found dead at Marriott Hotel parking lot
Updated: May 27, 2022
The relatives of 25-year-old Paishnarine “Ritchie” Hansraj are still trying to come to grips with his sudden demise.
Hansraj of Hague Backdam, West Coast Demerara (WCD), and 34-year-old Justin Teixeira were discovered motionless in a parked car bearing registration number PAC 2607 in the Marriott Hotel parking lot on Saturday.
Speaking with MTV News Update, the dead’s man sister, Layshtiana Hansraj, said she received a telephone call just after midnight informing her of her brother’s death.
Since the news broke to the family, the grieving sister said that her mother has been “breaking down.”
“My mother, she cannot talk to anyone. She is breaking down. My dad is trying to get things in order, funeral arrangements, etc.”
While the investigation is continuing, sources within the Guyana Police Force (GPF) have signalled that the duo’s death might be a double suicide or overdose, given that a plastic container with a “white hard substance” was found in the back seat of the car.
The substance is being tested to determine whether it is poison or illegal drugs. But according to Layshtiana, she is not aware of her brother going through any rough patch in his life.
The distraught woman said that Hansraj celebrated his 25th birthday anniversary two days ago, and he did not stop short of letting her know how “fantastic” it was. He is set to be engaged to his fiancée on May 7.
“He celebrated it at XS Bar & Lounge; Ravi B was there and other celebrities like Tony Cut, Vicadi Singh, etc. He couldn’t stop talk of how great of a birthday he had,” the younger sister related.
She added, “My birthday is the next day, and he told me, I really enjoyed myself, and he came home really late the next day. He was really happy.”
Layshtiana described her brother as the “best” while noting that her brother played a father figure role in her life despite her father being around.
“He was the best in overall of everything. My father is there, yes, but he would play a father figure role for me when I attended school. He is very humble, down-to-earth, hardworking, he is there for anyone, he is always jolly, you would go to him, and he would crack jokes, he would stand right next to you and sing, we would sing hammock together, and stuff like that.”
Looking at the future while fighting to hold back tears, the young woman said that it would be "very hard" getting over the death of her big brother.
“It would be very, very hard because the relationship that we share as a family, especially my mom and him, the relationship that they share is really special. The relationship that me and he share is really, really special, so it would be very, very hard,” she concluded.
In a Facebook post, Hansraj said, "I hope the world find peace today I love you all."
On the other hand, Teixeira wrote, “Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.😊"
Meanwhile, Police in a report said that at about 00:16 hrs on Saturday, ranks at the Brickdam Police Station received information that two bodies were lying motionless in a car in the Marriott Hotel parking lot.
Investigators were dispatched to the scene and were informed by an employee of the Hotel that he received a call from Teixeira’s mother, stating that he was having a seizure and asked if someone could check on him.
The hotel employee said he immediately dispatched another coworker to check on Teixeira, who was a guest at the Marriott, but when the employee checked the room, it was empty.
The employee then went to Teixeira’s black Vezel motorcar, which was parked bearing registration number PAC 2607, where he observed Teixeira sitting in the driver's seat, with all the windows halfway down.
The employee added that he opened the front passenger door and discovered Hansraj sitting in a crunch-like position. Both Teixeira and Hansraj appeared to be motionless.
He immediately called 911, and an ambulance with a medical professional arrived and pronounced both men dead on the scene.
No marks of violence were seen on the exposed parts of the bodies. The bodies were escorted to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, awaiting a Post Mortem Examination (PME).
Investigations, including the review of CCTV footage, are presently ongoing.
