Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
Teen charged with murder of pregnant girlfriend who drowned in Berbice River
The 19-year-old man of DeVeldt Village, Upper Berbice River and of Smithfield New Amsterdam was yesterday remanded to prison for the murder of his 17-year-old girlfriend. Dequan Abrams was charged with the capitol offence of murder committed on Melissa Soman of 58 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam.
Charged: Dequan Abrams
He made his appearance via Zoom at the Linden Magistrate’s Court where the charge was read to him by Magistrate Wanda Fortune. Abrams was subsequently remanded to prison after he was not required to plead to the indictable charge and the matter was postponed to 8th July 2020.
Abrams was arrested after the body of Soman was discovered floating in the Upper Berbice River nine days ago. According to the facts of the case, Soman was staying with Abrams in a village in the Upper Berbice River and had attended a birthday celebration in the village.
Dead: Melissa Soman
Abrams who was also present at the birthday reportedly noticed the young woman in the company of another male, gyrating on him. Her actions angered him and he ventured over to her and began to assault her; the other male who saw the beating went over to intervene but he too was reportedly assaulted. Abrams then grabbed a boat paddle that was nearby and dealt Soman several lashes about her body and head which caused her to tumble into the river. The other male subsequently jumped in to rescue the teen but she had reportedly disappeared. This was told to police by the suspect. The incident happened one day before her body was found.
When Soman’s body was hauled from the water her face and right hands appeared to be eaten way by fish, police had said. A post mortem examination that was conducted on her body revealed that she died from drowning and blunt trauma to her head. She was pregnant at the time of her death and also leaves behind a two-year-old infant.
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