Man stabbed to death by stepfather at Karasabai

See full statement from the Guyana Police Force:

Police are investigating the alleged murder of Jonnah Pedro, a 25-year-old Labourer from Normandie, Brazil. This incident occurred at about 19:30hrs last evening (10th March 2025) at Karasabai Village, South Pakarimas, in Region #9.

The suspect — Michael Francis, a 45-year-old unemployed resident of Rukumuta Village, South Pakarimas — is currently hospitalised under Police guard. Investigations disclosed that the victim was the suspect’s stepson.

At about 19:00hrs on 09-03-2025, the suspect along with his 53-year-old wife and 18-year-old daughter left their home at Rukumuta Village and went to Karasabai to uplift their ‘cash grant’ which was due for distribution on 2025-03-10.

The victim, who resided in Brazil, crossed the border to Guyana on the morning of the 10th of March 2025 to uplift his cash grant. On his arrival at Karasabai, he met up with his mother, stepfather and stepsister at the RDC office in Karasabai where the cash grant distribution was taking place.

After uplifting their cash grant cheques, they all went to a nearby shop where they started to imbibe alcoholic beverages (Brazilian beers). However, at about 17:00hrs yesterday, they went to the home of a relative — Quincyann Albert, a 34-year-old housewife of Karasabai, and were sitting on wooden stools in the yard, talking. During their conversation, the suspect began to talk about his brother Moses Francis who was allegedly murdered in Rukumuta Village on 8th March 2025.

The suspect became very aggressive and started to curse and make threats to kill the person who killed his brother. He was then rebuked by his stepson (victim) who advised him to calm down.

The suspect got annoyed at being rebuked and, in the presence of the victim’s mother and other relatives, he allegedly pulled out a kitchen knife from his green haversack and stabbed the victim in his head, right armpit and right shoulder. The victim ran a short distance and fell.

The victim’s mother (suspect’s wife) then raised an alarm and his sister who was in the house at the time came out and the two of them scrambled on to the alleged suspect and tried to take away the knife from him but he overpowered them. He then stabbed himself in the chest.

The victim and suspect were both taken to Karasabai District Hospital where the victim succumbed to his injuries, while the suspect was transferred to Lethem Regional Hospital where he is presently hospitalised under Police guard. His condition is regarded as serious.

Investigations are ongoing.