Name: Lilawattie Buerattan
Case Classification: Endangered Missing
Missing Since: June 4, 1994
Location Last Seen: Loxahatchee, Palm Beach County, Florida
Date of Birth: March 23, 1959
Age: 35 years old
Race: White
Gender: Female
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 115 lbs.
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Nickname/Alias: Lila Bueratian; Lila Buerattan; Lilawattie Buerattan; Lilawattie Bueratan
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Native of Guyana
Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Not Available
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
On June 5, 1994, a feed company delivery man made a routine stop at Moses Lall 's exotic bird ranch near West Palm Beach, Florida.
When no one came to meet him at the gate, Darryl Crewe hopped the fence. Crewe was amazed to find the ranch deserted. Hundreds of exotic birds (worth almost $700,000 in total) had been left unattended. Darryl had expected to find one of 4 people - either Moses Lall , his aunt, Lila Buerattan, or the ranch hands, Hari Gobin and Roland Felix Eyoum. The next day Crewe returned to find the feed he had left behind still there and the birds obviously unfed.
The authorities were notified but a bureaucratic snafu delayed any investigation for 10 days. When Palm Beach County Sheriff's Deputies followed up, they found hundreds of the birds dead or dying in their cages.
Moses Lall and Lila Buerattan came from a family of bird importers based in Guyana, South America. In 1993, federal restrictions on importing wild birds prompted them to concentrate on breeding birds instead. Buerattan became the caregiver and completely handled the whole breeding operation. Lall generally handled the business end. He delegated most of the daily chores to Hari Gobin who was also from Guyana. Gobin had worked for Lall and Buerattan since they started the ranch in 1992.
The other missing ranch hand, Roland Felix Eyoum, was from Africa. He was the brother of one of Moses Lall 's business contacts. Two days after sheriff's deputies discovered the dying birds, they tracked Roland Felix Eyoum to New York City. Eyoum told detectives that his coworker, Hari Gobin had related a story to him, claiming that 2 men in a white van had taken Lall and Buerattan away at gunpoint, along with some of the birds.
Agency Name: Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office
Agency Contact Person: Amanda Bardin, Missing Persons Coordinator
Agency Phone Number: (561) 688-3000
Agency E-Mail: N/A
Agency Case Number: 94-72124
NamUs Case Number: 28167
NCIC Case Number: M-748403986
NamUs
FDLE
Added: Prior to 2011; Last Updated: 03/10/2024 - By: kc
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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