Spurned teen tries to burn ex, new boyfriend alive

– rearrested after escape

Months of prolonged abuse have resulted in a Charity teenager and her new lover nursing first-degree burns while her ex-lover is now in Police custody.

Susanna Culpepper, 17, of Charity Extension Scheme, Essequibo Coast, received injuries to her face, both hands, stomach and feet while Chavez Watson, 21, of Charity Housing Scheme, was burnt on the right side of his torso.
Kyle Goddette, 21, also of Charity Housing Scheme, attempted to burn the couple alive.
Reports are that on Friday night, Culpepper went to visit Watson, a “jet man” and later opted to spend the night. They retired to bed about midnight, leaving the louver windows in the home open. In the wee hours of Saturday, the teenager recalled feeling a sweltering heat and woke up to “a ball of fire” on the bed that she and Watson were sharing. It is alleged that a jealous Goddette threw an unknown object into the home.
Watson stated that he saw Goddette at one of his windows and he subsequently ran away. The “jet man” then raised an alarm and a bucket brigade was formed to oust the fire. The bed which the couple shared was burned, along with the walls of the home.

The couple were later taken to the Suddie Public Hospital, where Watson was treated and discharged; however, Culpepper was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Burns Unit in critical condition.
Meanwhile, Goddette was apprehended by Police and denied the allegations against him. The labourer later escaped Police custody and before being rearrested hours later after posting on Facebook that he wanted to turn himself in and was innocent.
In a phone interview with Guyana Times, Culpepper’s mother, Cheryl Benn, outlined the unfortunate events of the abusive relationship her daughter shared with Goddette. Benn noted that her daughter was in a relationship with the labourer for about seven months and they had lived together on the river dam for that period of time.
“Apparently he used to beat she and got she running naked on the river dam,” Benn revealed. “I didn’t know ‘cause she wasn’t living with me,” she continued. Benn also mentioned that Goddette would also burn her daughter’s clothing.
The distraught mother explained that this was not the first time that Goddette has tried to seriously harm her daughter. She noted that after her daughter broke up with the labourer around August last year, he continued to harass her. In October of last year, Goddette allegedly wounded the teen in her face causing her to have to receive stitches at the Suddie Public Hospital. After she was released from the hospital, the teen was visited by the assailant’s family who begged her not to pursue the issue with the Police or the court. The teen gave in to their request only to be assaulted again on a later occasion. On the second instance, Culpepper was severely beaten by her ex-lover, leaving a number of scars about her body.
Benn also informed this newspaper that she has tried contacting the commander regarding the re-capturing of the labourer. The teen’s sister, who visited her on Monday, stated that her condition has improved to the point where she is eating and talking.