In June of 1994, 36-year-old Lilawattie Buerattan, a breeder of exotic birds, vanished from the Loxahatchee, Florida, ranch she operated with her 31-year-old nephew, Bhagwaniala Lall, who was also known as Moses Lall. Buerattan was the primary caregiver for the birds, while Lall handled the business aspects of their operation. The pair, known to be private, had transitioned from importing wild birds, a family business in their native Guyana, to breeding them after U.S. import laws became stricter in 1993.
The alarm was raised on June 5, 1994, when a feed delivery person arrived for a routine drop-off and found the gate to the ranch unattended, which was highly unusual. Knowing they did not keep a reserve of feed, he left the delivery at the gate. When he returned the following day to find the feed untouched, he alerted the authorities. A bureaucratic error delayed an official search of the property until June 16, a full ten days after their absence was reported.
Upon finally entering the ranch, investigators were met with a horrific scene: hundreds of exotic birds, valued at an estimated $700,000, were dead or dying from starvation. There was no sign of Buerattan or Lall. Also missing were their two ranch hands, Daljeet Gobin and Roland Felix Eyoum. Investigators noted that it appeared the occupants had been suddenly interrupted by an unknown party.
The investigation into the disappearances took several bizarre turns. Roland Felix Eyoum was located in New York City on June 18. He told authorities that his coworker, Gobin, claimed to have witnessed two unidentified men forcing Buerattan and Lall into a white van at gunpoint, taking some birds with them. Meanwhile, Daljeet Gobin had been apprehended in Georgia on June 7, just two days after the initial welfare check, for driving Lall's van. He identified himself to police as Lall and was subsequently released, disappearing before his true identity was discovered. Authorities have expressed a desire to question Gobin about the case, but his whereabouts remain unknown. Foul play is suspected in the disappearances of Buerattan and Lall, and their cases remain unsolved. The surviving birds from the ranch were later sold at a public auction.
Last Seen: Jun 05, 1994
