Retrial ends in murder conviction for ‘Big Foot’ in 2013 hotel killing
March 5 2026
A Demerara High Court jury has convicted Bryan “Big Foot” Leitch of murder for the killing of hotel proprietor Joseph Jagdeo, bringing a dramatic turn in a case that has been before the courts for more than a decade.
Leitch had previously been found guilty of the lesser offence of manslaughter and sentenced to 33 years in prison.
However, that conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal of Guyana, which determined that the trial judge had improperly directed the jury during the proceedings.
The appellate court subsequently ordered that the matter be heard again.
The retrial took place before Justice Gino Persaud at the High Court in Demerara, where a jury ultimately returned a guilty verdict for the capital offence of murder.
Jagdeo, 62, was the owner of the South Central Hotel located at Lot 218 South Road, Georgetown.
His body was discovered in November 2013 inside one of the rooms at the establishment. Investigators found the hotelier’s body concealed beneath a bed, bound and gagged.
According to court records, Leitch had been staying at the hotel with a female companion on November 13, 2013. During that time, Jagdeo reportedly realised that his cellular phone had gone missing and approached Leitch about the matter.
The confrontation between the two men heightened tensions.
The following day, the hotel’s caretaker went to clean Jagdeo’s room but found the door locked. After eventually gaining entry, the caretaker discovered the businessman’s body hidden under the bed, his hands and feet tied with pillowcases.
Leitch was 19 years old when he was initially charged in connection with the killing. Since his arrest, he has spent close to 13 years in custody as the case moved through the judicial system.
At his first trial, a 12-member jury acquitted him of murder but convicted him of manslaughter. That verdict was later nullified by the appellate court’s ruling, paving the way for the retrial that concluded with the more serious conviction.
State prosecutors successfully presented the case during the second trial, resulting in the jury finding Leitch guilty of murder before Justice Persaud.
Following the verdict, the court adjourned the matter for sentencing.
Leitch is expected to return to court on April 13, 2026, when Justice Persaud will hand down the sentence for the murder conviction.
