Rupununi Man Admits to Killing Brother with Arrow
October 30 2025
Twenty-year-old Gregory Miguel has admitted to unlawfully killing his brother, Wilfred Stephen, during a family altercation in Kumu Village, Central Rupununi.
Miguel entered a guilty plea to the lesser count of manslaughter before Chief Justice (ag) Navindra Singh at the High Court in Demerara.
He was originally indicted for murder but chose to accept responsibility for the reduced charge following legal consultation with his attorney, Madan Kissoon.
The case is being prosecuted by State Counsel Christopher Belfield, assisted by State Counsel Praneta Seeraj and State Counsel Geneva Wills.
According to the facts presented in court, the incident occurred on the night of July 31, 2023.
The brothers, who had been estranged for several months, were drinking with relatives at their uncle’s home when an argument erupted around 9:00 p.m.
Although the quarrel subsided, tensions resurfaced later that evening at their mother’s house, where Stephen had gone to collect food.
A confrontation broke out involving their stepfather, prompting Stephen to intervene in defence of his mother. Miguel confronted him, leading to another scuffle.
Their mother managed to separate the two, but Miguel ran into a nearby house, armed himself with a steel-point arrow, and pursued his brother.
When Stephen fell to the ground, Miguel stabbed him in the right side of his back before fleeing the scene. Stephen succumbed to his injuries about an hour later.
With limited access to communication and transport, the family was unable to immediately alert the police, who arrived around 2:00 a.m. on August 1, 2023.
The body was then taken to the Lethem Regional Hospital.
Miguel was arrested the following day. In a video-recorded statement to police, he confessed to the stabbing but claimed he had been intoxicated and did not intend to kill his brother.
A post-mortem examination revealed that the arrow had punctured Stephen’s chest cavity, severing major blood vessels and causing fatal internal bleeding.
Chief Justice Singh has ordered probation, prison conduct, and victim impact reports to assist the court in determining an appropriate sentence.
Miguel will remain in custody until his sentencing on November 19, 2025.
