After almost 21 years, police have made an arrest in the murder of Viola Thomas, who was allegedly stabbed to death in 1998 by her husband, who was recently held in connection with stabbing another woman.
In a press statement yesterday, acting Guyana Police Force spokesman Shivpersaud Bacchus said that the suspect, Philbert Thomas, also known as ‘Gilbert Thomas’, who was recently remanded to prison on two counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm, has confessed to the murder and will be charged on Monday.
Bacchus added that prior to his arrest Thomas had been a fugitive in hiding.
Viola, 23, a resident of Waini, North West District, was fatally stabbed to death on September 5th, 1998.
The police said she was at a fun day when she was attacked and stabbed several times about her body, allegedly by Philbert.
Philbert was arrested by the police earlier this month following the stabbing of his ex-girlfriend and her current partner.
The stabbing occurred on August 14th, during an argument at Hururu Mission, Berbice.
Philbert appeared on August 22nd at the Linden Magistrate’s Court, where he was not required to plead to the indictable charges and the matter was adjourned until September 6th.
The police had said that Dally Gobin, 48, and her partner, Learmond Smith, 40, were consuming alcohol at the former’s residence at Hururu Mission, Upper Berbice River.
Thomas visited the residence and started an argument with Gobin.
During the argument, police alleged that Thomas, who was armed with a knife, stabbed Gobin and Smith.
They were both rushed to Kwakwani Hospital for medical attention and later transferred to the Linden Hospital Complex, where they were both admitted before being discharged.
The police in a press statement yesterday said that they were successful in making a breakthrough in the years-old crime after the Viola’s mother positively identified Philbert as her daughter’s killer.
“After twenty one years, Ms. Alina Thomas a sixty-three-year-old resident of North West District and mother of Viola Thomas never stopped thinking of her daughter and it was [she who] saw the photograph in [a] daily newspaper of Philbert Thomas, a man who gave his name as Gilbert Thomas to the police,” police statement said.
The police said the woman went to the Acquero Police Station and made a report that she saw the man who was wanted in connection with the murder of her daughter in the newspaper. As a result, the police said a court order was filed and Philbert was subsequently identified by Alina.
He was questioned in relation to the crime and subsequently confessed, the police added.
Philbert was previously charged in absentia with the murder of Viola.
The police said that the matter was heard at the Acquero Magistrate’s Court, Region 1, where several witnesses had testified.
“Eight years later, the matter was recalled at the same court and was adjourned with no appointed date for resumption. The investigating rank was then Detective Lance Corporal 13004 Linden Lord, who is now Senior Superintendent and Commander of ‘E’ Division (Linden),” the statement added.
Philbert is scheduled to appear in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday, when he is to be charged with murder.
