THE gruesome murder of 18-year-old British citizen Dominic Bernard, who went missing after arriving in Guyana on October 14 last, has left many residents in the Region 6 community of Kildonan/Nurney in a state of shock.Located 21 miles from New Amsterdam and 23 miles from Crabwook Creek, Kildonan and Nurney are closely knit villages, and most of the residents are related. Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, several residents said the murder hit home pretty hard, and the community has been taken by surprise.

They still have not yet come to accept that the lads “Stayee” (Staymon George) and Aaron (Hing) committed the gruesome act with the help of two of their friends. They are all in police custody, assisting with investigations.

The two prime suspects, whom police say have since confessed to the crime and have fingered two other lads who either had knowledge or played a part in the murder, all have one thing in common — that is they come from broken homes.

Staymon George, now 23, is an orphan, having lost both his parents in his pre-teen years. He and his younger brother were brought up and schooled under strict guidance by his aunt, who had ensured they were properly schooled. Staymond made it to the New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI), where he studied electrical installation and had a job as an electrician. He was a former GPL contract employee. He is described as a jovial person, an outspoken young man who listens to advice and takes steps to improve himself.

COMPUTER SCIENCE
Hing, now 22, was born in England, but moved to Guyana with his mother after his parents separated. He also was a student at NATI, where he did computer science. He has been travelling back and forth between Guyana and England, where, according to a source, he served three years on a drug-related charge.

According to the source, both Hing and Bernard were fingered in the charge, but Aaron was the only one who did the time. However, the two never had any bad relations with each other, and Hing had even spent time by Bernard’s place on a recent visit last year.

Everyone who knows Aaron keeps asking the same question: “You sure is the same Aaron? But he so quiet!”

OTHER SUSPECTS
The other two suspects, aged 16 and 18, reside in Nurney and Kildonan respectively, and are close friends with both of the accused. They, too, are living with single parents due to parental separation, and are both educated to secondary level. The 18-year-old recently started his own business with funding from a relative, and the business is doing well. The 16-year-old has recently completed secondary schooling, and would take odd jobs within the communities to make ends meet.

Guyana Chronicle did a walkabout in the community and spoke with several residents, who all expressed shock and disbelief that these young men were capable of committing such a heinous act. According to a businessman, who said he knew all the young men since they were little children, they were always respectful towards him, and never seemed aggressive or violent.

He said “Stayee and the 16-year-old used to work for me during school holidays, and I still cannot believe that they did it, because they were the last person I believe could do such an inhumane act”.

GOOD CHILDREN
Another resident, a teacher, said: “In all the time I have known these youths, I’ve known them to be good kids. I cannot wrap my head around the fact that this happened right here in this community. I’m saddened that the young man lost his life. I was really hoping and praying that he would be found alive.”

Another resident, a member of a vibrant youth group, is still in denial, even though the suspects have confessed. “I still refuse to believe that these boys did this, as I cannot see them as being capable, having known them from birth.”

She is calling for unity in the community in the implementation of more activities that would engage youths meaningfully, so that they can channel their energies positively, and not have idle time to think of illegal activities.

“There needs to be an avenue for youths to let off steam, and what better way than to channel it to sports or physical exercise? But it will take a collaborative effort on all fronts, such as the schools, parents/guardians recognising this need and making it possible for those affected to be able to do so without any pressure.”

This murder has attracted a lot of negative attention to the communities, with coverage daily in the media, both locally and internationally, and residents are not pleased with the image that is being portrayed of their community.

Moreover, they are saddened that a young first-time visitor lost his life in such a cruel manner, and they are saying it should not have happened in the first place. He should have been protected by the ones he had trusted.

More importantly, they are seeking the motive of the crime, since some sections of the media reported that the grave was dug two days prior to Bernard’s arrival.

This shows it was a premediated act, and there is more to the story than what is being revealed thus far, they say. “Even if robbery is to be considered as a motive, why kill the boy?” they ask.

The badly decomposed body of the teen was discovered in a two-foot shallow grave in the backlands of the community.

As the police continue their investigations, the suspects were brought to the scene of the crime, and they also identified the murder weapons, believed to be a cutlass and a hammer which were left not far away from the crime scene.

By Nafeeza Yahya