A mother of two who suffered years of abuse at the hands of her children’s father, was brutally stabbed to death early yesterday morning. Dead is ex-boxer Okemo Todd, called “Shenell”, 20, of 15 Ketley Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. She received about 31 stab wounds to the body.

A bloodied spot in front of Ketley Street Primary School, where her lifeless body was found, was evident yesterday morning after the incident.

Her father, Neville Todd, 47, of  385 East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, told the Guyana Chronicle that the last time he saw her alive was the day before Mashramani.

He added he received a telephone call at home at about 4:00 hours yesterday saying that his daughter was killed.

He rushed to the scene and saw her lying on the ground at the gate of the school, covered in blood, with her children beside her.

The children, both girls, four months  and two years old, were crying. They are now being cared by their grandmother, Melanie Wills.

Mr. Todd said soon after the police were summoned and cordoned off the area.

At the hospital, he noted that the body bore many stab wounds and she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Meanwhile, the dead woman’s mother, Melanie Wills, 41, of 47 Block ‘E’ South Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was inconsolable yesterday when the Guyana Chronicle visited.

She said her daughter’s relationship with her children’s father, Charles Rawlins, 24, of 15 Ketley Street, Charlestown, Georgetown was plagued with fights and quarrels.

She had advised Todd on many occasions to return to live with her, and she would come for a while, and then return to Rawlins, an ex-boxer and has had many brushes with the law.

Todd was a confectionery vendor who plied her trade in the vicinity of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) outlet on Water Street.

It is believed that Todd was attacked while she was still in bed with her children, and she jumped out of the window of the modest cottage to escape, but was overpowered and stabbed to death a few feet away from her home.

The murderer reportedly fled the scene in a motorcar.

Neighbours said the couple shared a stormy relationship and often had noisy disputes.

Ms. Wills said her daughter was often upset because Rawlins was reportedly seeing other women.

Ms. Wills explained that she was in bed when she received a telephone call. The caller told her Todd was dead and her body was on the road.

She stated that, when she arrived at the scene the body was already removed to the hospital, where she managed to get a glimpse of the body.

However, Rawlins’ mother, Cicely Rawlins, 54, who shared the small cottage with her son, Todd and the children, told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday afternoon that she last saw Charles last Thursday when he told her he was going to Cayenne.

She later heard he went to Suriname and was unaware he was in the country. She said she was unaware of any problems the couple were having.

She could not say where her son was yesterday since the cellular phone she had is in police custody.

Cicely Rawlins noted that her son usually telephoned Todd and could not say what triggered the murder.