Buxton man arraigned for murder of Lethem cook

Keron Hope of Middle Street, Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was arraigned for the murder of 26-year-old Mariam Edwards at Kumung Kumung Backdam, Puruni River, when he appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

He was not required to plead to the indictment which stated that between June 8 and 9, he murdered Edwards. As such, he was remanded to prison until June 30, 2022.
Based on information received, Williams was employed as a cook in the Kumung Kumung Backdam. Her employer had stated that on the evening of June 8, after he and his crew had returned to camp, they realised that Edwards was missing and her quarters ransacked.
Upon enquiring, they were told by a boat operator that he had dropped Hope to their camp during the day. As a result, the employer and several others confronted Hope and reported the matter to the Police.
Upon arrival in the Backdam, Hope was handed over to the Police and upon being questioned, he took them a short distance away from the camp where they found the body of Edwards. It was lying face up in the water.

She was clad in only a black bra and her neck bore hematoma-like marks. Both the body and the suspect were taken to Bartica. The suspect was placed in custody and during interrogation, he admitted to paying the deceased to have sex with her on two previous occasions.
However, on June 8, he told detectives that they had sex for the third time after which, she reportedly told him that, that would have been the last time. He admitted that he became angry and choked Edwards until she became motionless after which, he dumped her body in the river.
He further stated that he returned to her camp and took 21 pennyweights of raw gold which was in her purse.
Meanwhile, an autopsy performed on the body revealed that the woman died as a result of “manual strangulation compounded by blunt trauma to the head”. The post-mortem examination was conducted on Monday by Dr Nehaul Singh.