Buxton man jailed 12 years for strangling woman, dumping body near mining camp

A 27-year-old man who confessed to strangling a woman and disposing of her body near a mining camp in the interior, was on Monday sentenced to 12 years behind bars by Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Essequibo.
Keron Hope, also known as “Blacka,” of Lot 5 Middle Street, Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was indicted for the murder of 26-year-old Mariam Edwards, called “Mary.” He pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter and was represented by Defence Attorney Latchmi Dindayal.
The killing occurred between June 8 and 9, 2022, at Kumung Kumung, Puruni River, Region Seven, where both Hope and Edwards were working in the gold mining industry.

According to the prosecution, led by State Counsel Caressa Henry, police received reports on June 9, 2022, that a woman had gone missing under suspicious circumstances. When ranks arrived at Kumung Kumung Backdam, they found Hope tied to a post with visible signs of violence on his body. During questioning, he initially admitted to killing Edwards and led investigators to where he had dumped her body near a tailings pond.
In his first statement, Hope reportedly told police: “I went to the camp where Mariam was cooking. I was aware that she was alone and I choke her and she get blackout. I then take 21 pennyweights of gold from her and then I carried her body to a nearby tailing pont and left her body.”
However, a more detailed version of events was provided the following day. Hope told detectives that on the morning of June 8, around 10:00h, he had chartered a boat to return to his work location near the camp where Edwards stayed. The two later engaged in sexual intercourse, but afterward, Edwards told him she wanted to end the affair, claiming her boyfriend, Andrcio Chappelle, had discovered what had been going on. Hope said he became enraged, and an argument ensued. Edwards allegedly slapped him during the confrontation, and in response, he choked her until she lost consciousness. He then dragged her half-naked body to the river’s edge and left it there before returning to the camp to steal her purse containing 21 pennyweights of gold, which he later sold.
That same day, a shop owner, Adrian DeSouza Silva, returned to the area and noticed Edwards was missing. He contacted Chappelle, and the two began searching for her. When they questioned Hope, he claimed he had travelled to the landing. However, other persons reported that Edwards had last been seen with him. As the search intensified, Hope attempted to flee but was found hiding in nearby bushes and restrained.
Upon arrival, police interviewed him again, during which he confessed and directed them to Edwards’ body. A subsequent post-mortem revealed she died from manual strangulation, with compression injuries to the neck and blunt trauma to the head.
During the sentencing hearing, Hope’s attorney asked the court to consider his early plea, cooperation with the police, his clean criminal record, his age, and his remorse. But State Counsel Henry pointed out the horrific nature of the killing, the pain it brought to Edwards’ loved ones, and Hope’s initial effort to evade responsibility. She urged the court to hand down a sentence that would reflect the gravity of the crime and send a clear message.
Justice Singh started with a baseline sentence of 30 years. He then deducted 10 years for Hope’s guilty plea, five years based on positive probation and prison conduct reports, and another five years for remorse.
However, he added two years in light of the severe emotional damage inflicted on the victim’s family.
Hope was ultimately sentenced to serve 12 years in prison, with time already spent on remand to be subtracted from the final term.