Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
Sophia triple murder… Woman recounts harrowing tale of seeing loved ones on fire
Emotional and fighting back tears, Candacy Buelow took to the witness stand in the trial of Gavin Graham, who is accused of the January 03, 2015 murders of her sister Tabola Abrams, 39, her sister’s boyfriend Shawn Whyte, and her step-father 69 year-old Clifford Sampson, who all died following injuries they sustained from a fire that was deliberately set to their home.
Murder accused: Gavin Graham
State Prosecutors Tiffini Lyken, Tuanna Hardy and Nafeeza Baig have presented three murder indictments against Graham, 51, who has since pleaded not guilty. The murder accused is being represented by lawyer Ravindra Mohabir. He is on trial before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a 12-person jury.
State Prosecutors are contending that Graham set fire to the two-storey house Lot 636 ‘C’ Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown, which was at the time occupied by Abrams, her paramour and stepfather, and about 10 other individuals including children, after the woman ended their six-year relationship.
One of the victims: Tabola Graham
Buelow described the address as a “family yard” where several relatives occupied a two-storey property. In recounting the events leading up to the fire, she said that on the day in question she arrived at home around 18:15hrs and went to her sister’s home to borrow a DVD player. She said that her sister told her something and she warned her about Graham. On another occasion, Buelow said her sister received a phone call from Graham, and again, she issued her a warning about the man.
According to the witness, her boyfriend arrived at home around 22:00hrs and they got into a heated argument. After things calmed down, Buelow said she heard the dogs barking in the yard and ventured outside to see what was wrong. The woman said she looked around the yard and saw no one. As a result, Buelow said she went back inside of her home and secured the doors. She said awhile after, she heard a loud explosion and went outside, only to see her sister’s home on fire.
Buelow told the jury that she began calling out for her mother and sister for them to wake up, because everyone was sleeping. Struggling to hold back tears, Buelow said that as the house was on fire she heard her sister screaming, as efforts were being made to open the door to her home. When the door finally opened, the witness said that her sister, her sister’s boyfriend, her niece and other relatives ran out of the house.
When her sister came out of the home, Buelow said her nightgown was on fire, and relatives had to scramble clothing from a nearby clothes line for her. “We had to lash the fire off of her,” the crying woman recounted, as she rested her head on the witness box. She added that her mother, who occupied the upper flat of the building, had no other choice but to throw her son and nephew through a window to prevent them from being burnt.
She said that although everyone called out for her stepfather to jump through a window to escape the blaze, he was hesitant, as he had previously suffered a stroke in one of his feet and walked with a “limp”. The witness told the court that the fire was rapidly burning, and when her stepfather finally decided to jump through the window, his skin was already peeling off. She said that she and her mother called out to neighbours for assistance.
According to her, ‘Bus Man’ came and took the injured persons, including her, to the Georgetown Public Hospital. While driving through a nearby street, she recalled hearing another explosion; their home came crashing down. Although, she admitted to not seeing Graham in the yard when the incident occurred, she said that the man was not legally permitted to enter the yard as her mother was granted a restraining order against him as he was in the habit of assaulting her.
Counsel for Graham suggested to the witness that it was Whyte who set the house on fire. His suggestion was rejected by her and she began to question why her sister’s spouse would want to do something like that. This trial is continuing at the High Court in Georgetown.
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