Death on a lonely backdam

May 07, 2017 Features / Columnists, Murder and Mystery

– is Iesha Byron’s killer serving time in Cayenne?
By Michael Jordan

It was around eleven o’clock on the night of Monday, July 16, 2007, that residents of D’Urban Backlands saw a short, dreadlocked man and a young woman trekking down a bush-lined dam leading to Sophia. The area had developed a

Iesha Byron

macabre reputation in recent years. It was here that the bound and bullet-riddled body of a young Mc Doom resident named Devon Cambridge was found on Sunday, March 12, 2006.
It was in this area also that the bound body of Sherman Edwards of Crown Street, Queenstown, was found in April. Someone had slashed his throat. Despite this, the secluded dam also remained a haven for lovers, so the passing couple aroused no suspicion.
But some 20 minutes later, the residents were startled by the sound of gunshots.
Shortly after, they spotted the same dreadlocked man hurrying back in the direction from which he had come. This time, he was alone. He then mounted a bicycle that he had apparently left leaning against a tree and sped off.
Some residents notified the police, but when the ranks came and scoured the area, they found nothing suspicious.
The following day, the still-curious residents continued the search, and shortly after, they stumbled on a yellow skirt, a cream top and a pair of slippers on the dam.
Their worst fears were confirmed when, moments later, they came upon the nude body of a young woman of African ancestry in a clump of bushes.
The corpse bore bullet-wounds to the abdomen and forearm. Robbery did not appear to be the motive, since the victim was still wearing a pair of stud earrings, gold bands, chain and wrist watch.
Tattooed on the victim’s right thigh was the word ‘Quassi’, but that gave no clue about the slain woman’s identity.
It was not until the following day, after word had spread about the killing, that relatives came forward to claim the body.
The victim was Iesha Byron, a 25-year-old hairdresser from East Ruimveldt Front Circle. Iesha had two daughters, aged seven and eight, and operated a salon in the Bourda Market Mall.
Her relatives were certain that they knew the identity of her killer.
They last saw her alive at around 09:30 hrs on Monday, July 16, 2007. It was at around that time that a dreadlocked man had visited the home.
The man, a relative, had lived at the same house, but he had disappeared about a month prior to that. Word was that he had gone into hiding after making off with the loot from a robbery that he and two other men had committed.
The man spoke with Iesha, and the young hairdresser informed a sister that she was going out and would return soon.
Iesha and the dreadlocked relative then left, with the man pushing a bicycle.
From the description of the individual who had taken Iesha to the backdam, relatives were certain that the same man had killed her.
But while police had an identity of the suspect, they were unable to locate him. He had simply disappeared.
But two years after Iesha Byron was brutally slain, close relatives of Byron’s claimed they had information about the whereabouts of the man they insist was her killer.
According to the relatives, they received word that the man was serving time in a French Guiana jail for armed robbery.
Relatives said that they were able to confirm this after contacting authorities there.
They are hoping that when his sentence is over, he will be shipped back to Guyana to face trial for the brutal murder he is believed to have committed one night on a lonely backdam.

If you have information about any unsolved case, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location.
You can also get in touch with us on telephone numbers 22-58473, 22-58465, 22-58491, or 22-58458. Or you can drop a line to Michael Jordan at his email address mjdragon@hotmail.com.
You need not disclose your identity.

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