AFTER more than three weeks on the run, a 28-year-old man was on Wednesday charged with the murder of his cousin, whose body was found with an arrow in the chest at Tiger Plate, in Central Rupununi last month.
Levi Stevens, a farmer of Kumu Village, Central Rupununi,appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and was not required to plead to the indictable charge. It is alleged that on March 16, 2017 at Tiger Plate, Central Rupununi, Stevens murdered his cousin, Arnold Gordon.
The man was unrepresented and was remanded to prison. The matter was transferred to the Lethem Magistrate’s Court for June 6, 2017. Gordon, 24, a labourer of Kumu Village, Central Rupununi,was discovered dead around 16:30hrs on March 17, 2017 at Tiger Plate, Kumu Ferry area, Central Rupununi.
According to police, Gordon was apparently clubbed, then shot with a bow and arrow under his right arm-pit. An iron rod was also found near the murder scene.
According to an eyewitness, the 28-year-old suspect used a length of wood and a metal rod to hit Gordon. The police reportedly learnt of the incident through a Toshao, who came by the information from the eyewitness’ grandmother. Acting upon what he was told, the Toshao put together a team and went in search of Gordon, the police said.
The search party eventually found what appeared to be a shallow grave in some bushes some 20 feet from the suspect’s campsite. The police were summoned, and Gordon’s remains were discovered in the shallow grave.