The badly chopped 16-year-old girl remained in a critical condition yesterday and up to press time last night, the attacker remained at large.
Crime Chief Seelall Persaud told Stabroek News late yesterday afternoon that the suspect, a 22-year-old dredge owner who hails from the Pomeroon River, is yet to be arrested. The dredge owner also fatally chopped the man she was with, during the incident, which occurred on Monday at Big Creek Backdam, North West District (NWD).
The teen, who reportedly hails from Matthew’s Ridge, NWD, is on life support in the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Hospital.
Meanwhile, the badly chopped body of Junior Joseph, 22, of Lot 17 Onderneeming, Essequibo Coast was transported to the city yesterday. A post-mortem examination will be conducted today.
Based on the information provided to this newspaper, the girl began a relationship with the suspect shortly after he moved to the area, less than a year ago. He has been renting a house at Oronoque, Port Kaituma.
Joseph began working for the suspect a few months ago.
The man had suspected that the girl was being unfaithful to him and decided to hatch a plan to catch her in the act.
Some time last week, the man travelled out of the area leaving his girlfriend in charge of the camp.
Some time during 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.
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.
Reports are that when the man arrived at his camp he found Joseph and the teen in a compromising position and went berserk.
From all indications, he caught Joseph off guard and began chopping him on his neck as the teen stood helplessly nearby. When Joseph’s neck was almost severed from his body, the man turned his attention and his cutlass on the teen.
The badly-wounded girl was transferred to the Port Kaituma Hospital by persons in the area before being air-dashed to the city where she underwent emergency surgery to close her wounds, including a long one on her abdomen.
