A miner was chopped to death and a teenaged girl was brutally hacked at Big Creek Backdam, North West District around midnight on Monday after her lover found her in a compromising position with the other man.
Dead is Junior Joseph, age 22, of Lot 17 Onderneeming, Essequibo Coast. Up to press time the 16-year-old girl who had to be air-dashed to the city was listed in a critical condition at the Georgetown Hospital. Earlier in the day she underwent emergency surgery at the medical institution for multiple chop wounds.
The suspect, police officials told this newspaper, is on the run. One official told this newspaper that Joseph was chopped to death after the suspect found him in a compromising position at a dredge site in the interior location.
The dredge where the incident occurred is owned by the suspect this newspaper was told.
A source in the North West close to where the incident occurred said that over the weekend, the suspect informed his girlfriend that he would be sending in supplies for the dredge and that he would travel to the location two or three days after.
Sometime on Monday, as promised, the man sent in a 4×4 vehicle loaded with supplies for the dredge and caught another vehicle which travelled closely behind.
The source said that when the man arrived at his camp he found Joseph and the teen in a compromising position and went berserk. He dealt the two countless chops before fleeing the scene.
This newspaper was told that Joseph’s body was later transferred to the Port Kaituma morgue while the teen was brought to the city.
Joseph’s relatives were distraught at the news of his death. His father, Deon Joseph was inconsolable when this newspaper contacted him by telephone.
He said that he had received conflicting information about the circumstances of his son’s death and would not want to repeat it or speculate over what might have happened. Joseph is his only son.
The man stated that around 4:45 am yesterday a girl broke the news to his wife who later contacted the mother of the dredge owner. The woman confirmed that Joseph had indeed been chopped to death but did not have details about the circumstances.
He said that the woman told his wife that she attempted to see the body at Port Kaituma but was prevented from doing so.
Deon explained that his son has been working with the dredge owner for several months and at no time related to him that there was a problem.
He said that he last saw him around the Easter holidays when he visited them.
The man broke down into tears as he tried to recall the type of person his son was. He said that all he can do is “pull meh self together”.
He is not sure about what the next move is for the family. He explained that the police have told them that the body will be handed over to the family, once the investigators were finished with it.
Meanwhile the man’s sister Nakeysha recalled that she last spoke to Joseph over the weekend when she asked him for phone credit.
The woman now in tears added that her brother was a good person who was always kind and willing.
Joseph also leaves to mourn his mother Ursilla Wilson and three other sisters.
There have been numerous murders in the North West District. Many were committed during robberies and drunken rows.
