Attempted murderer succumbs to poison

Jun 22, 2008 News

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By Melissa Johnson

NEW AMSTERDAM, BERBICE – Earl Steve Bynoe, the man who attempted to kill his paramour yesterday, died at the New Amsterdam Hospital in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Earl Steve Bynoe chopped Detective Constable Stay Yearwood on Thursday night at Number Fifty-One Village, Corentyne, and then ingested a toxic substance moments later.  Relatives of the now dead Bynoe, 47, said that ‘killer’ is not an expression they would use to describe him.

His sister, Ezla Bynoe, portrayed him as a jovial individual. “He is a loving person and a good son and brother.”  According to her, the ex-soldier and former policeman was a taxi driver at the time of his death. Earl Steve Bynoe resided at 197 Mayor and Town Council Housing Scheme all his life, until he moved to Number Fifty-One Village last year. “He was living with the same Police woman since then. This morning (Saturday), I went to the same home where the incident took place and collected his clothes and documents. Her son died last year, and his name came over as uncle on the death announcement,” Ezla said.
She said that, at about 01:00 hours on Friday, she got a telephone call. “My daughter told me that Uncle Steve just called, speaking in a low tone of voice, and say he just chop up Stay and he drank some poison and he is in the bus shed at Kildonan just next to his brother, Colin Bynoe. She told me he said call Colin and tell him come out for him, that he is at the bus shed.”
The family began making telephone calls, and finally Charmayne Bynoe, another sister, who is a Police woman, got to Earl Steve Bynoe. “He told her what happened, what he did, and she decided to call the Police and tell them where he was. He was then taken to the Whim Police Station. I don’t know what time they took him to the hospital, but he was in the lock-ups.”
Colin Bynoe spoke to detectives, and according to Ms. Bynoe, it was then Police became aware that he had ingested a toxic substance.
According to Ms. Bynoe, she saw him at the New Amsterdam Hospital at about 18:00 hours on Friday. “When I got in he was winking me off with his eyes, and I asked him why he winking his eyes at me. He said, ‘My sister, I like you,’ and I told him if he liked me he would never have done this to me. He said, ‘My sister, I lose it! But I don’t want to live; I want to die because I am too old to go to jail.”
He then asked for some water, and she reportedly gave it to him. He promised to see her on Saturday morning and shook her hands. She left. “Before 4:30 am on Saturday, we got the message that he was dead.”
She is convinced that her brother would not have committed such an act under normal circumstances. “(Stay Yearwood”) daughter told me this morning that she (victim) is still asking for him. She told me that her mother said that they must visit him and take things for him because he was nice to her.”
She said that her brother was also physically abused during the incident. “He told me that he was beaten by the victim’s son. He had a cut on his head, marks on his hands, back and shoulder and buttocks.”
On Friday, a well placed Police officer said that Earl Steve Bynoe was in Police custody assisting with investigations after he allegedly chopped his paramour on Thursday night. The incident took place at Number Fifty-One Village, Corentyne.
Ms. Caroline John is the mother of Detective Constable Stay Yearwood.
Yesterday, she said her daughter is still in a terrible state, “She tell me she feeling pain. I didn’t tell her he died, because she is a patient and you can’t tell her those things.”
The Lot 53 Union Village resident on Friday related that she got a telephone call on Thursday night. “They say the man beating yuh daughter up!”
She explained that the two became close a few months ago. “She man wanted some money long now and she refused to give it. They went out the night and just come back, and he ask she again fuh the money and she tell he ‘no.’ He tell she he going home.”
But the man did not leave. After her daughter went upstairs, the man followed her and began locking the house. “When she see what happening, she shout out for she sons, and he, ‘Son-Son,’ kick down the door and break it to get out he mother. She run down the step by the kitchen door, she did done get downstairs when she fall down. He pick up the broad axe — them cane field cutlass — and do it (chop her).
Ms. Caroline John said that it was her grandson who saved his mother. “Is she son, ‘Son-Son,’ saved her. He is in his 30s and is a big man. When I go (to the scene) I did not see Stay. She did already move to Skeldon Hospital. Then they take she to the New Amsterdam Hospital.”

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