AN Anna Regina woman was allegedly hacked to death by her reputed husband, who after committing the gruesome act, drank herbicide.

Dead is 39-year-old Farida Khayum, a domestic worker and mother of six children, who resided at Lot 9 Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, Region Two. Khayum was reportedly stabbed 12 times. Her suspected killer is now a patient at the Suddie Public Hospital. The victim and the suspect shared a common law relationship for 10 years.

In a statement, the Guyana Police Force said it is investigating the murder which occurred at about 22:20hrs at the couple’s residence. “Investigations revealed that the victim was preparing to go to a nearby function when an argument ensued between herself and the suspect who became annoyed, armed himself with a knife and fatally stabbed her multiple times,” the police said. The condition of the 42-year-old suspect, who is under guard, is said to be stable.

Golden Harduwar, the victim’s mother confirmed that the incident occurred at around 22:20hrs on Thursday at the couple’s home. Harduwar said she was sleeping in one of the rooms in the single flat concrete building, when she heard her daughter screaming for help. The woman reportedly rushed to her daughter’s rescue, and found her lying in a pool of blood.

When asked if she heard the couple arguing prior to the incident, Harduwar responded in the negative. “I went into my bed, my daughter was getting ready to head out to a maticoor night nearby. I didn’t hear any loud argument,” the grieving mother recalled.

Harduwar said her daughter was a loving person. According to her, for the short time she has been living with the family, she never knew that the couple had a violent relationship. With tears in her eyes, Harduwar said she is “baffled” as to why her son-in-law killed her daughter. Harduwar lived in Pomeroon but recently relocated to Anna Regina to live with her daughter after suffering a stroke.

Guyana Chronicle was told that Khayum’s two sons, ages 10 and 14, witnessed her murder. In the presence of their grandmother, the older of the two recalled seeing his foster father smoking a cigarette while sitting in a hammock on the outskirt of the building. At the time, Khayum, according to her son, was combing her hair while sitting in another hammock inside the house. The teenager said his foster father suddenly went into the kitchen, picked up a knife and started stabbing his mother.

“I try to intervene but he wanted to hit me. I saw him stabbing mom and then stabbing himself to his hands, then I saw my mother drop to the ground and she said she dead,” the tearful son recounted.

The 14-year-old boy said his mother worked as a domestic worker to take care of him and his other siblings. Though Khayum and her reputed husband lived for 10 years, they had no children together. The dead woman’s children are now worried about how they will survive now that their main provider is dead.
Beverly Khayum said the news of her sister’s death comes as a major shock, and brings back haunting memories of their father’s death. Beverly explained that in 1994 their father Abdool Khayum was murdered at the same premises. “It’s like a movie, everything replaying before our eyes, my father now my sister,” Beverly said.

The body of the deceased is currently at the Suddie Mortuary awaiting a post mortem examination. The family said it would welcome any donation to assist with the burial of their loved one.