Sophia double murder: Carpenter arraigned for murder of soldier, girlfriend

Following an alleged confession, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has charged 23-year-old Koabe Grant with the murders of a Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Lance Corporal and his girlfriend, which occurred on September 1. The double murder accused was arraigned before Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool on Monday at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.

Grant was not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleged that on September 1, at Sophia, Greater Georgetown, he murdered 26-year-old Daniel Fraser and his girlfriend, Sheniqua Hodge. He was remanded to prison until October 30.

Confession
Police Headquarters said that Grant confessed to killing the soldier and his 23-year-old girlfriend. During interrogations, he reportedly told detectives that Fraser and two other men allegedly raped his close relative, and ever since the now dead man was in the habit of disrespecting and threatening him.
He reportedly told ranks that at around 20:30h on September 1, he left his mother’s Meadow Brook, Georgetown home, and went to the residence of the alleged rape victim.

He said he later left the relatives home on a black BMX bicycle and was on his way to visit a friend when he saw Fraser imbibing at a shop in C Field, Sophia. He claimed that the now dead man threatened him while making derogatory remarks about his relative whom he allegedly raped.
As such, grant reportedly told ranks that he went back to his mother’s house and collected a handgun which he found some time back at the Black Bridge in Sophia. He then went back to the friend’s home and while approaching a bridge that leads to C Field Sophia, Fraser and a few other persons were about to cross the said bridge, and as such, he turned back and went to B Field, Sophia.
Shortly after, he reportedly saw Fraser and Hodge on a motorcycle. Another man was behind them on another motorcycle, he added. He related that upon seeing him, Fraser shouted, “Look he deh hey.”

At that time, Grant reportedly told ranks that he whipped out the gun from the crotch of his pants and discharged several rounds in the direction of the couple.
After committing the act, he claimed that he dropped the gun and escaped into A Field Sophia, where he took off his clothes, left them on a dam, and went back to his mother’s home, where he remained until he was arrested last week Wednesday.
Guyana Times understands that investigators were able to confirm that Grant’s relative did make a report on May 27, 2021, that she was allegedly raped by Fraser and another member of the GDF.
In that report, she claimed that the incident took place in February 2021, but out of embarrassment, she had refused to seek medical attention. The rape matter is still being investigated.

Police report
Fraser, of Lot 598 A Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown, and Hodge, formerly of South Ruimveldt, Georgetown, and of Barbados, were riddled with bullets moments after leaving a party in C Field Sophia.
In fact, a post-mortem performed on their bodies proved that Fraser died from one gunshot injury to the chest, while his girlfriend died from multiple gunshot injuries.
It was reported that on the day in question, the now dead couple was at a party at C Field Sophia, but left for home at about 23:30h on motorcycle CK 9296. As they were heading along the last street in B Field Sophia, they were confronted by a man on a bicycle, who discharged several rounds at them before fleeing.
Police initially stated that Fraser died on the spot, while Hodge succumbed on the way to the hospital. He reportedly sustained two gunshot wounds to the chest in the vicinity of the heart, while Hodge received three gunshot injuries – one to the chest, one to her right knee, and one to the right-side abdomen.
Hodge reportedly arrived in Guyana in July to sort out some documents to join the Barbados Defence Force.
Relatives had told Guyana Times that after she arrived in Guyana, she and Fraser met for the first time, but before that, they would communicate over the phone.
Investigators had stated that the now dead woman is the mother of a four-year-old boy from a previous relationship which ended. After the relationship came to an end, the child’s father had threatened to kill the woman several times after she and Fraser started a relationship.
After the shooting incident, the man was arrested and questioned. During interrogation, he held out that he was not involved in the execution-style killing of the two young people.