Toshao stabbed 19 times seen entering hotel room with Amerindian man

…Police hunting mystery man caught on camera

A Toshao of Tasserene Village, Middle Mazaruni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) was brutally murdered between the hours of 00:50 and 07:30 after arriving in Georgetown for an executive National Toshaos Council meeting.
Dead is 37-year-old Ridley Joseph.

Investigations revealed that at about 18:23h on Sunday, Joseph checked himself in at the Signature Inn Hotel in Queenstown, Georgetown, for one night and was given room number 135, which is situated on the western side of the middle flat of the three-story building.
Joseph, who checked into a hotel earlier, was seen leaving with an unidentified male at around 00:50 hours. The two returned shortly after, entering the hotel through the southern door, where Joseph bought a bottle of water. The other man had a Rude Boy bottle. The pair then headed to room 135.
According to reports from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), at 02:19h, the man left the room and walked west on Laluni Street, then south on Albert Street.
Bloodstains were found on the walkway leading to the room, and a hole in the door suggested the use of a sharp object. Through the hole, Joseph’s body was discovered lying in a pool of blood, with partial footwear impressions visible on the floor. Hotel staff made the gruesome discovery and immediately alerted the police.
Joseph, who was elected to the council earlier this year, was found in a pool of blood in his hotel room. Preliminary investigations revealed he was stabbed 19 times, with wounds to his face, neck, and chest.
Additionally, a piece of luggage reportedly in his possession is missing, and authorities suspect it was stolen during the attack.
Detectives have since reviewed security footage and have tracked down a car driver, who transported the suspected killer and the Toshao.
Chairman of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), Derrick John, visited the crime scene, expressing shock and dismay at the loss of the young leader.
“It’s very sad that that was the news that greeted me this morning. It was very shocking and disturbing to us. It’s a very saddened situation,” the Chairman of the NTC said.
Valedictorian
Joseph, described as a dedicated leader, was preparing to graduate as valedictorian of the Health Ministry’s Nursing Assistant programme.
His murder has sparked calls for justice from Indigenous leaders and the wider public.
“Well, we were all elected in last July and we met once as an executive and so far it’s, you know, we realised that Tushar was a very dedicated leader, you know, he had a lot and as a good leader, a lot of good potentials. We saw it with him, even though that we didn’t have much association with him because as I said, it was only once we met as an executive and because of the geographical spread out, you know, it’s very hard for us to contact, connect on a daily basis. But I think that Tushar was a very good family person. He was soft-spoken, you know, and you could have seen his desire there to lead his community and also contribute at a national scale as it relates to indigenous peoples’ rights and their development,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony and the entire health fraternity have expressed sympathy to the family, friends, and colleagues of Toshao Joseph.
Described as a stalwart in healthcare and an exemplary student who demonstrated good leadership qualities, dedication and commitment during his training, the now deceased Toshao would have been the recipient of several awards.
These include Registered Nursing Assistant (RNA) deemed the most compassionate, RNA who demonstrated a high level of integrity, most outstanding RNA in Clinical nursing and RNA who performed excellently in academics.
The investigations are ongoing. (G1)