Farmer burns, buries body of electrocuted fruit thief

by Michael Jordan

A La Grange, West Bank Demerara farmer has reportedly confessed to burning and burying the body of a young man who was electrocuted on a fence the farmer had rigged up to keep out thieves.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum confirmed to BIG Smith News Watch that police on Monday, February 26, recovered a skull and burnt bones from another area near the farmer’s property.

The victim is believed to be 22-year-old Shaquille Jones, called ‘Butta’, of Lot 44 Inner Bagotville, West Bank Demerara.

Jones is believed to have been electrocuted on the farmer’s fence in late November, 2023, while he and two other youths were raiding citrus farms in La Grange.

Jones’ accomplices allegedly witnessed his death and allegedly saw the 59-year-old farmer remove the body. However, the deed only came to light on Sunday, February 25, when one of the friends, aged 16, gave a statement to La Grange Station detectives.

The detained farmer is alleged to have stated: “I had current on me farm fuh keep off dem youth man wha always thieving fruits from my farm, but I tek it off sometime late November last year, because I come home a afternoon from wuk and see one a den hook up on the fence, like he get electrocute.

“I tek he off and I recognize is ‘Butta’ (Jones)..I drag he pon de next land and I use some tire fuh burn he.

“I tell you de truth I didn’t kill this man; he done dead.”

RAIDING FARMS

Jones’ 16-year-friend alleged that in November, 2022, he, Shaquille Jones, and another youth went to raid a citrus farm in Cone Shop Street, La Grange, West Bank Demerara.

But on reaching the first farm, the owner, who was brandishing a cutlass, chased them, and they fled to another farm.

They were scaling a ‘mesh fence’ when they heard Shaquille scream. They realised that he had come into contact with an electrical wire on the fence.

The youth said he tried to use a length of wood to move Shaquille from the fence, but suffered an electrical shock on the foot.

The two friends then hid behind a mango tree until day-break.

WRAPPED BODY IN SHEET

The teen alleged that they eventually saw the farmer picking fruits. The man allegedly saw Shaquille’s body, and wrapped the corpse in a sheet. He allegedly then dragged the sheet- wrapped corpse further into the farm.

The teen said his accomplice threatened to kill him if he went to the police.

SKULL, BONES, BURNT TYRES

Police, accompanied by the teen, then went to the farm at Cone Shop Street, La Grange. They arrested the farmer/contractor, who lives at Unity Street La Grange.

He accompanied the ranks and the eyewitness to his farm, but the detectives saw no evidence of the electrical wires.

The farmer admitted that he had demolished his old fence and erected one with barbed wire.

On Monday, February 26, police, acting on information, located suspected human bones in a clump of bushes at Cone Shop Street La Grange West Bank Demerara.

A crime scene team also found an electrical cable strapped to a coconut tree in the front yard of the farmer’s property.

On an empty area near the farmer’s land, they also observed several burnt tires, and suspected human bones, including what appeared to be a human skull.

They also retrieved part of a pair of burnt denim jeans and male underwear.

The bones are to be examined by a pathologist.