TWO young gold miners have been jointly charged with the murder of 24-year-old Riley Abrams, whose mutilated body was discovered at Balamani Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven.
The accused, 21-year-old Rovel Santiago of Mabaruma, Region One, and 20-year-old Shawn Williams of Kuru Kururu village on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, were arrested on Saturday, June 28, 2025 — the same day the crime is alleged to have occurred.

The murder charge, laid under Common Law in accordance with the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01, was formally read to the men on Tuesday at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court by His Worship Teriq Mohammed.

Santiago and Williams were not required to plead and were remanded to prison until August 14, 2025, when the matter is set to continue.
Police allege that the men fatally attacked Abrams on June 28 at the remote mining location in the Balamani Backdam area.

A post-mortem examination performed on June 30 by Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, confirmed the cause of death as “multiple incise wounds,” suggesting a violent assault.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the small, tight-knit mining communities in Region Seven, where disputes and violence have occasionally marred an otherwise labour-intensive pursuit for gold.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing, even as calls grow for improved safety and conflict resolution mechanisms within the interior mining districts.