A 26-YEAR-OLD resident of Cambelltown, Mahdia, Region Eight was on Monday stabbed to death by his cousin after they got into a heated argument while drinking at a bar there.

The incident reported occurred around 04:00 hrs.“They dey all de drinking and he and he cousin start cuss out one another about each other mother. These boys are two sisters’ children and the argument got very heated,” an eyewitness told the Guyana Chronicle.

The eyewitness, who hailed from the same Amerindian community and requested anonymity, said the incident can divide the families involved and the community as well.

“Nobody wan talk because dem ain’t want no problems as this is a tense situation,” the eyewitness said. The suspect and the victim reportedly live a few houses apart.

Residents, while expressing sadness over the situation, were reluctant to publicly speak on the matter, but they called on the authorities to clamp down on drug and alcohol abuse in the community.

According to reports, the alleged murderer reportedly came out of the backdam the day before with several of his co-workers.

The eyewitness said the victim and the murderer, along with others, were drinking when a heated argument started.

“They were arguing and busing really bad when Romel decided that he will walk away. He left the bar and was walking when, without warning this guy (cousin) came up behind him and stabbed him to his right side.”

The eyewitness added: “The police could have caught this guy had they responded in a very timely manner, but it’s as though because we are living in the bush (Madiha) everybody thinks that we should be treated anyhow. This isn’t right as you can see the very short distance of the police station from here.”

Several other residents echoed similar sentiments.

After committing the act, the alleged assailant reportedly got into a bus that was heading out of Madiha and has not been seen since.
Residents believe that the suspect might be hiding out in one of the camps as he knows the interior terrain well.

Romel was the fifth of six children and used to live with his mother Josepha Alfred, 53. When this newspaper visited, his mother was in a state of shock.

She related that she has been hearing different versions of the incident that led to the stabbing.

“I am too weak to even know what happened as I am hurting badly,” the woman said.

Alfred related that her son “was a good child and to loose he like this ain’t easy” as she wept.

Village Toshao Ivan Pio said he is very disappointed about what happened, noting that the killing was a senseless act.

“This is a case of yet another life being stuffed out senselessly. It’s time that the youths realise that drinking and smoking will only make their lives more complicated and challenging. I continue to speak to them as the toshao but unfortunately it’s as though they are not listening as every day several young men can be seen drinking all day, thus resulting in increased social problems,” he said.

Police are investigating the murder.