HOMICIDE detectives say the shooting death of a Wallerfield man and his friend, first thought to be over a slaughtered cow, has now shifted and may be as a result of an ongoing land dispute.

Speaking with Sunday Newsday on Friday, detectives said the initial information was based on reports which identified the men’s most recent altercation was over a cow.

Police reported that on October 19, Sheldon "Reddo '' Lewis and Sean Dalipsingh were killed at Dalipsingh’s home at Tractor Pool Road, Wallerfield.

Relatives at the time said the men were killed because Lewis slaughtered a cow belonging to a man in the area who had been repeatedly told about his roaming animal. They suspected that Dalipsingh was shot so he could not identify the killers.

The theory held weight with police as Lewis admitted to Dalipsingh’s relatives that he slaughtered the cow a day before they were killed. Police also confirmed with the owner of the cow that his animal was killed by Lewis.

Police later learnt that Dalipsingh is the third member of his family murdered this year after all were made beneficiaries of land in Sangre Grande and Wallerfield.

On May 29, Dalipsingh’s aunt Linda Dalipsingh, 38, of Crescent Drive, Mausica Road, D’Abadie was gunned down. It was reported that at about 7 pm Linda was with 27-year-old Romario Beggs, of Waterhole, Cocorite, when they saw a man dressed in black walking by the wall of her home. The man walked into the yard and shot at Dalipsingh and Beggs.

Both were taken to the Arima Health Facility where Linda was declared dead at about 9.45 pm.

Two months later, Dalipsingh’s cousin, Luke Dalipsingh, was shot dead at his business – Luke and Tenisha Wholesale Company Ltd on Quesnel Street, Arima.

Police reported that at about 11.20 am, a gunman walked up to Luke and shot him once in the head. The killer escaped in a white Nissan Wingroad.

This murder was recorded on CCTV camera and shared on social media. It showed the killer stepping out of the car wearing a hoodie, mask and cap, walking up to Luke who was assisting a customer to his vehicle, and shot him once in the head.

Luke’s murder came months after his business was shot at on May 14 at about 3.41 am.

Police said a female relative of Dalipsingh moved out of the Wallerfield home weeks before the murders because of growing tensions over the property, which included the Wallerfield house

A relative, who assisted the police with the link to the slaughtered cow, denied there was any family rift when contacted on Friday. The man said he told police that the only person Dalipsingh had an argument with in recent times was the owner of the cow.

Dalipsingh was buried on October 23 and Lewis will be buried on October 31.