HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Police have opened a homicide investigation into the death of Edwin Pirando following the acquittal of Jamie John Nededog, who was charged with murder in connection to Pirando’s death.
On Wednesday in the Superior Court of Guam, a verdict of not guilty was rendered by a jury in the trial for Nededog, who was believed to be responsible for the death of Pirando, whose body was found at the Atantano Shrine in Sånta Rita-Sumai on Oct. 15, 2023.
As a result of the acquittal, The Guam Daily Post inquired with the Guam Police Department regarding the investigation into Pirando’s death.
Police spokesperson Officer Berlyn Savella confirmed, “The homicide case will be open.”
Nededog
After Pirando’s body was found, Nededog initially was arrested on suspicion of murdering 54-year-old Pirando, who had several injuries to his face consistent with blunt force trauma. Nededog’s arrest came after police identified Nededog had spoken about Pirando’s truck, which was found parked near Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church and school area and had blood inside it.
Nededog was then released, before being indicted Dec. 1, 2023, on charges of murder.
During his trial, Nededog maintained his innocence and even took the stand to testify about the last time he saw Pirando, which was the night before Pirando’s body was found.
According to Nededog, who had been longtime neighbors with Pirando in Hågat, Pirando parked across from the 76 Circle K gas station in Hågat because Pirando was meeting up with a “friend.” Once parked, Pirando asked Nededog to wait outside the truck, leading Nededog to sit by the beach for several hours.
Although Nededog said he was drunk and couldn’t recall much, he remembered seeing another individual, who he described as a big guy, with long hair, who was a drug dealer from Dededo. After waiting, Nededog said he took Pirando’s truck because Nededog needed to use the restroom. He said he then realized there was blood inside the truck.
Nededog later parked the truck at Mount Carmel because it ran out of gas after he searched for Pirando in the village.
The next day, Nededog went to the police to give information about Pirando, but to his surprise, he was arrested instead.
After getting the chance to clear his name and succeeding, his attorney, Peter Santos, who is a former police officer, said Nededog would be willing to help find Pirando’s killer.
“Jamie would be willing to help look at mugshots to see if they can identify someone,” said Santos. “They (GPD) usually put out an (all-points bulletin), put out a request for information. … They have a network of confidential informants, and they can push this out to that network in order to try … shaking the tree and see what falls out.”
Since methamphetamine was found in Pirando’s body at the time of his death, the motive for the killing is believed to be drug-related.
Santos told the media after the not guilty verdict, he believed the suspect sounds like a “low- to mid-level player.”
“Not someone like … a big shot caller because it wouldn’t be a shot caller that goes out to sell, peddle the drugs himself. … I don’t think this guy is high up. I think he’s a mid- to low-level dealer and would be not a terrible threat, but if we can identify him and bring him to justice, then I don’t think there’ll be anything to worry about,” Santos said Wednesday afternoon.
While Santos also called on members of the community to give information if they “hear somebody bragging about” killing Pirando, or finding Pirando’s belongings, which were revealed in trial not to have been recovered, to contact GPD. The Office of the Attorney General also invited Nededog to cooperate in finding another suspect.
“We thus invite Jamie John Nededog, through his defense attorney, to assist GPD in its further investigation with finding his friend’s killer, who Mr. Nededog testified killed his friend over an apparent drug deal gone bad. We also ask the public to contact GPD or us if you have any information about who killed Mr. Edwin Pirando,” the AG’s Office said in a press release issued Wednesday.
