Gas station bombers to stand High Court trial

(Kaieteur News) – Magistrate Faith McGusty on Thursday ruled that a prima facie case has been established against three Venezuelan nationals: Daniel Poedemo, Krystal LaCruz, and 44-year-old Alexander Bettancourt, committing them to stand trial in the High Court for the gas station explosion of October 26th, 2025 that claimed the life of young Soraya Bourne.

At the same time, the court upheld a no-case submission for Guyanese taxi driver Johnny Boodram, freeing him from the matter after finding that the prosecution’s case against him rested solely on mere suspicion. Delivering her ruling at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, Magistrate McGusty examined the prosecution’s submissions, video interviews, and surveillance evidence surrounding the tragic bombing that sent shockwaves across the nation.

Addressing the case against Boodram first, the Magistrate noted that the Guyanese national appeared by all accounts to be legitimately employed as a taxi driver who had an established working relationship with LaCruz to perform routine transport duties. According to the evidence presented, LaCruz contacted Boodram to drive to Georgetown, where he waited while she visited KFC on Regent Street before returning with her and Poedemo to the Lux Bar, for which he was paid $12,000, a sum the court found no reason to dispute.