An autopsy performed on the remains of 24-year-old Clifton Richmond, the man who succumbed on Saturday two days after stabbing his wife, revealed that he died as a result of pesticide poisoning.
Commander of Region 4 (B) Kurleigh Simon yesterday afternoon confirmed the findings with Stabroek News.
The autopsy was performed yesterday morning by Government pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh at the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary.
Richmond also known as “Steve” succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) around 11.15 am on Saturday.
The police, in a statement, had said that Richmond ingested a poison and jumped into the Demerara River after he allegedly stabbed Sheria Khalil, called “Sherry”, 22, a bank teller, once to her neck.
The attack took place around 7.45 pm last Thursday in the compound of the Elim Christian Fellowship Church, at Timehri Public Road.
They were both taken to the Diamond Regional Hospital and were later transferred to the GPH hours apart.
Khalil remains hospitalised. Her condition is listed as stable.
The couple lived together at Timehri with Khalil’s parents.
The police on Friday had said that their investigations revealed that the couple planned to meet up at Khalil’s workplace last Thursday. However, when Richmond showed up, Khalil was not at work.
Khalil later went home and was confronted by Richmond and an argument ensued. “…And it was alleged that he (Richmond) picked up the woman (Khalil) and ran with her to the nearby church yard,” the police said.
Upon hearing Khalil scream, the police added, relatives rushed to the churchyard, where they found Khalil bleeding with an apparent stab wound to her neck.
The police recovered a knife and a bottle with suspected poison from the scene.
Richmond plunged into the Demerara River and was later rescued but was unconscious at the time.
