TWO men were on Wednesday, April 15,2020, remanded to prison for the gruesome murder of 24-year-old Lawrence Raymond Benjamin called “Lil Boy”.

Winston Long, a 22-year-old farmer and Jermey Small, a 19-year-old labourer, both residents of Timehri Base Road, East Bank Demerara appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Court for the capital offence.

The charge alleged that the duo on April 5, 2020 at Timehri, murdered Benjamin.

The duo was remanded to prison until May 27,2020.

Long was released from prison in March 2018 after serving a one-year term of imprisonment for escaping from the Lusignan Prison back in July 2017.

Benjamin, of Ice House Road, Timehri, was stabbed and killed by two males on Sunday, April 5, 2020 at a shop in the vicinity of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport 09:45hrs that day.

He was reportedly chased by his assailants. He was found sitting in a white plastic chair with stab wounds to the neck and ribs. He was clad in a white vest and blue short pants.

Benjamin was last seen alive by his mother, Alexis Forde, on the same day in question around 06:00hrs, when he told her that she would be left crying for him.

Police investigation revealed that on March 31, 2020, Benjamin was arrested and placed in custody at the Timehri Police Station for threatening behaviour, language and assault committed on his foster father and others.

He was, however, released on April 4, 2020 and was expected to appear in court on April 7, but was killed before that time.

Due to a collaborative effort among three police divisions, the two men fingered in Benjamin’s death were arrested and allegedly confessed to their involvement in the crime.