A labourer was on Tuesday evening stabbed to death by a cousin over the repayment of $440, tragically ending a two-week feud between two teenagers.
Dead is Leon Anthony Ritchie, 17, of Lot 20 Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara. He sustained a single stab wound to his chest and was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The suspect, a 16-year-old was taken into custody and the suspected murder weapon, a knife, was recovered at the scene.
Reports revealed that the incident stemmed from a grievance between the two youths.
This newspaper was reliably informed that about two weeks ago, Ritchie borrowed $440 from the suspect to purchase food. As the days went by, the suspect reportedly asked him to repay the money on several occasions but he refused and the two stopped talking to each other a week ago.
According to reports, on Tuesday evening, the suspect was alone at home when Ritchie entered his house with a jersey covering his face. Upon his entry, the suspect called out for Ritchie who did not respond. The suspect then armed himself with a knife and inflicted a single stab wound to the chest of Richie, who collapsed.
The suspect then picked up his bicycle and rode to a nearby shop, where he met his uncle and told him what had transpired. The uncle rushed to the scene and transported Ritchie to the hospital, but he died before arriving.
The uncle, who preferred to remain anonymous, related to this newspaper that he was relaxing on a bench situated in front a nearby shop when the suspect arrived on a bicycle and ran into the shop.
“I see he [the suspect] mek one run into the shop, so I said something wrong with my son, because I did just send he up the road to drop off food for his grandmother. So I go and ask he and he say that he just juk Leon… I turn and ask he if he mad,” the uncle said.
The man said he immediately left for the scene where he saw the suspect and another cousin holding up Ritchie who was bleeding profusely.
Meanwhile, Michael Ritchie, father of the dead teenager, said he was at his aunt’s home located in the said community when Ritchie stopped in just after work. “He came and meet me there and then he said he going home and change his clothes and come back,” Michael said. As time elapsed and he did not see the younger Ritchie return he decided to stand on the road and wait for him.
“As I was standing waiting on him, his uncle car pulled up and he tell me that Leon got stabbed and they going to the hospital,” he explained. The man said he saw his son in the car and got in and they drove to the hospital.
Investigations are ongoing and the suspect is likely to be charged soon.
Ritchie leaves to mourn his parents and brother.
