Twice as many women murdered in 2022 than in 2021
(Photo of Miriam Edwards and Waynumattie Permaul who were killed in 2022)
By Michael Jordan
One was clubbed in the head as she slept; Another was stabbed 13 times.
A third was shot; a fourth was strangled and buried in a shallow grave. A fifth was slain while pregnant. Another was set alight—allegedly because of a bird cage.
They were mothers, grandmothers, wives, and businesswomen. One was a teacher; the last one was an attorney.
These are among the 27 women who were murdered between January and December 14 of this year; at the hands of husbands, former spouses, lovers—and in one bizarre case allegedly by lover and husband—ex-boyfriends, neighbours, strangers, and even members of their own family.
That’s twice the number that were killed in 2021 during the same period.
Police statistics provided to Big Smth News Watch revealed that of the 27 slain this year, two were murdered by boyfriends and lovers, one by an ex-husband; 13 by their husbands and reputed husbands, and one by a family member.
These are worrying statistics for the Guyana Police Force.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum has noted that domestic and disorderly murders accounted for more than half of the homicides that occurred during the last five years.
“The Guyana Police Force intends to launch a vigorous social media campaign to raise more awareness about the current situation and highlight how disorderly conduct can escalate and lead the loss of lives,” Blanhum said.
“The Guyana Police Force also intends to organize conflict resolution seminars within those communities with a high rate of domestic and disorderly murders.”
MURDERED WHILE PREGNANT
On January 27, 2022, Loretta Simon, 28, was at her mother’s C Field, Sophia home, when an ex-boyfriend allegedly turned up. She reportedly met him at the gate and gave him a glass of water, but refused to let him enter the house.
During an argument, the former boyfriend allegedly stabbed the pregnant Loretta Simon in the region of the heart. She died at the scene, while her killer fled.
The suspect, 34-year-old Terrence Thomas of East La Penitence, Georgetown, was apprehended two days later and has since been remanded for murder.
STRANGLED AND STRUNG UP FROM A TREE
On February 8, 2022, Edith Reuben, 48, was found hanging from a mango tree in her backyard at Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke-Linden Highway.
A postmortem established that she had been strangled.
A police investigation allegedly implicated her husband, Dianand Lakhan, and the woman’s alleged lover, Aubrey Williams, 36.
It was claimed that they killed Edith Reuben during an argument, which occurred while they were drinking at the couple’s home. They were both charged and remanded.
BURIED IN A SHALLOW GRAVE
Last April, Waynumattie Permaul, a 53-year-old housewife mysteriously vanished from her home at Lot 33 Kilcoy/Chesney, Corentyne, Berbice.
Her worried son notified the police. They visited the home and reportedly observed bloodstains in the bottom flat.
They immediately detained her husband, 55-year-old Avemanen ‘Terry’ Permaul.
He allegedly confessed to strangling his spouse during an argument, then wrapping her in a bedsheet and burying her in an empty lot near the couple’s home.
MURDERED FOR GOLD
In June, the body of Miriam Edwards, a 25-year-old cook, was found at Puruni, Region Seven.
Miners in the area had become concerned after observing that her camp was ransacked and she was missing. They subsequently tracked down and tied up a suspect, Keron Hope, of Middle Walk Buxton, East Coast Demerara.
He allegedly admitted to robbing Edwards of a quantity of gold, killing her and disposing of her body.
He allegedly led police to the area where he had disposed of her remains. An autopsy revealed that she had been struck with a heavy object and strangled.
SET ALIGHT—ALLEGEDLY OVER A BIRD CAGE
August appears to have been a particularly deadly month for women. It was in this month that 20-year-old Analee Gonsalves, a mother of a toddler and a one-month old, was admitted to the Georgetown Hospital with third degree burns.
It was alleged that her husband, Ajay Persaud, had doused her with methylated spirits and set her alight, during a row over a bird cage at the couple’s La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank of Demerara home.
He was initially charged with attempted murder, but that charge was upgraded to murder after Gonsalves succumbed.
STABBED BY ESTRANGED HUSBAND
On August 9, Cindy Ramchandar, 25 of No.47 Village, East Berbice Corentyne, was riding a scooter with her three year old niece, when a man with a knife confronted her.
The suspect, allegedly identified as Ramchandar’s husband Baburam Suraj Ganpat , stabbed her multiple times before fleeing the scene. The couple had separated some three months prior.
Ganpat was subsequently arrested and charged.
THIRTEEN STAB WOUNDS
On August 26, 2022, Tacina Dazzel, 28, was in her Lot 46 Ujamma Housing Scheme, La Bonne Intention, when she allegedly had an argument with her reputed husband, Quincy Lloyd Roache, a 36-year-old businessman.
Shortly after, Dazzell ran out of her home and collapsed on her bridge. Her body reportedly bore multiple stab wounds.
Her common law husband, Quincy Lloyd Roache, reportedly turned himself over to the police at Sparendaam.
BEATEN AND STRANGLED
In October, Nirmala Sukhai’s mother went to visit her 33-year-old daughter at La Grange, West Bank Demerara.
She found Sukhai lying face down on her bed with blood oozing from her mouth. She had been beaten and strangled.
It was alleged that an individual who claimed to be her boyfriend had become incensed after seeing her drinking with two men.
Police subsequently arrested and charged Ryan Johnson, the alleged boyfriend, for Sukhai’s murder.
HACKED TO DEATH
The killings continued in November when 30-year-old housewife, Oma Devi Virasamy, was chopped to death at her Bloomfield New Scheme, Corentyne, home.
Virasamy’s reputed husband, Mahendra Paltoo, had reportedly attacked her after she accused him of infidelity.
He had allegedly first claimed that she had ‘slipped and fallen on a cutlass.”
A MURDER AND A HANGING
On November 20, Leston Baynes, a 28-year-old truck driver, dropped off his son at a Wismar, Linden house where Kelly Charlotte, his 22-year-old reputed wife, was staying.
Charlotte, a teacher of the Christianburg Primary School, had recently ended her relationship with Baynes, allegedly due to his violent nature.
Shortly after his arrival, Baynes stabbed Charlotte several times before fleeing the scene.
He was found hanging about a week later in an abandoned house at Wismar, Linden.
MURDERED BY A RELATIVE
On December 2, Audrey Harris, 75, got into an argument with a 50-year-old nephew, who lived in the bottom flat of her Lot 11 Princess Street, Georgetown home.
She reportedly insisted that he move out. The nephew reportedly responded by stabbing Audrey Harris to death in her yard.
BEATEN TO DEATH
On December 4, Linden Kellman, a welder, allegedly told police that he had awoken in his First Hill, Linden/Soesdyke Highway home and found his common-law wife, 43-year-old Umadai Lall dead next him.
He was later charged after reportedly admitting to having beaten his spouse to death.
A MURDER AND A SUICIDE
On Tuesday, December 13, police found the bodies of a young couple in their Nissan X-Trail at Clay Brick Road, Canal Number Two, West Bank Demerara.
The victims were 31-year-old Peter Charles, a barber, and his wife, Asasha Ramzan, a 30-year-old State Counsel with the Attorney General Chambers.
Both had been shot.
Police believe that Charles shot and killed Ramzan before taking his own life.
A .32 semi automatic pistol and four spent shells were recovered from the vehicle.
They had reportedly married just a few months prior.
WOMEN ALSO MURDERED WOMEN
Women also died at the hands of other women.
On August 8, 2022, 22-year-old Vanessa Anderson, of ‘B’ Field Dam Sophia, Georgetown, reportedly had a feud with two sisters from the same community.
That dispute escalated on August 8.
It is alleged that Anderson, a mother of three, was heading to a shop when one of the sisters stabbed her in the back. Anderson fled into her yard, where she collapsed and died shortly after.
The two sisters, Jamacy Jason, 21, and Teffine Greaves, 29, reportedly turned themselves over to the police and were subsequently charged with murder.
A NIECE ALLEGEDLY HELPS TO MURDER HER SLEEPING AUNT
On Monday, November 28, Sumintra Sawh, 85, known as ‘Auntie Betty’ was clubbed and stabbed to death in the bedroom of her Bush Lot, Corentyne property.
Initial reports suggested that she was the victim of two brutal robbers, who had also tied up a niece who was staying there.
But police subsequently arrested and charged the 37-year-old niece, Roshanie Basdeo, and Mohamed Ramzan Shaheed, a 48-year-old neighbour, for the crime.
