– as feuding families clash
Marvin Boston preached the message of Islam in his Albouystown community to those who would listen and he promoted peace, but his words fell on deaf ears yesterday when he attempted to break up a fight and ended up dead.
It was just before 7 am when two brothers, who are reportedly feared in the area for their rage, stormed the family home where Boston called ‘Jess’ resided and threw out a challenge for a fight. Boston, rushing to the aid of a male relative, got involved in the fracas minutes later and was stabbed multiple times. Reports are that he bled internally and succumbed within minutes of being rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Boston’s death came less than 24 hours after a peace agreement was reached by the two families with a brief history of conflict. The families visited the Rumiveldt Police Station on Friday to discuss the ‘bad blood’ between them and to finally put an end to the feuding. But the feud resumed early yesterday morning when the challenge was thrown out.
“Ah sit down and watch de doctors look at Jess and resign themselves cause like he de dead already. Is gone he gone on that hospital bed and I ain’t even know though ah went next to he,” a grieving Sonia Williams said yesterday at the hospital. She identified herself as Boston’s cousin and said the entire incident happened in front of her eyes.
The early morning brawl at 138 King Edward Street, Albouystown involved one of Boston’s cousins and the two brothers. It was reported that Boston’s cousin was willing to fight the brothers “hand to hand” and had emerged from his home prepared to fight. A fight did ensue and it was while he was fighting one of the brothers that one reportedly pulled out a knife and attacked, and Boston intervened.
Boston’s attacker was subsequently detained at the public hospital when he turned up with his brother who was injured in the fracas. According to Williams, the two men turned up at the hospital unaware that her cousin had died and were promptly detained by the police officers there. The scene at the hospital was chaotic yesterday as a large crowd of Albouystown residents converged there to vent their frustration over the killing.
Boston’s relatives were inconsolable at one point, some bawled for several minutes after the news spread that he had died while Williams rolled on the ground in an uncontrolled state of grief. A few persons from the area could have been heard lamenting that “it didn’t have to come to this” and they were vocal over Boston’s death saying an innocent life had been taken.
Sonia Williams’s brother, the target of the attack, was also detained by the police as he was said to have chopped one of the brothers who went to his home in the head. He fiercely denied the allegation saying the man hit his head during the scramble.
Living in fear
Sonia Williams also known as ‘Susie’ told Stabroek News that her family had been living in fear for over a year now following a threat from the man who stabbed Boston. She said the man had resented her brother because he was a policeman, and although her brother left the force over a year ago things did not change. She related that the family would often receive threats and admitted that they sometimes felt the need to stand up and “represent we self”.
A few months ago, Williams said, the man approached her family and issued a threat that he was going to “do some major damage” to them. She considered that a serious threat and the matter was reported. Months passed and a few minor arguments would erupt, she said, but nothing serious. Then earlier this week, the man threatened to break into the home and hurt them.
“He said how he gon come in on we, but we didn’t believe,” she said. “On Thursday morning I see he and he laugh and seh how he went in on we and nobody didn’t know. I still didn’t believe this guy, but then he tell me how he gat we hockey sticks from the house and when I check they missing.”
Williams said she went to the station and made a report.
The families later ended up at the station together and they decided on the truce. Williams said an officer urged her to return to the station Saturday [yesterday] to follow up on the peace agreement and she went there early yesterday morning. She said that Boston encouraged her to go since he feared that something would have started up again. “…he look at me and seh ‘Susie I feel something gon happen, go back to the police,’” she related.
At the station, she said the officers had no vehicle to accompany her to the home and asked her to check again at midday. She returned home and within minutes the incident occurred.
Religious problem
Residents in the area told Stabroek News yesterday that the real problem behind the feud wa because of Boston’s attempts to convert persons in the area to Islam. They said that religion was the cause of the issue several months ago and claimed that Boston was a target because of his connections to the religion. They said that he was able to convert a guy in the area who is close to the person who stabbed him.
“Is because he is a Muslim this problem come about,” a resident said yesterday shaking her head. She said the whole incident was senseless, adding that she could see no reason why anyone would want to harm Boston. Persons in the area all described Boston as a good young man who was heading in the right direction.