Latest update August 23rd, 2026 10:28 AM
Jan 11, 2022 News
– tells court he is innocent
Kaieteur News – One of the suspects in the hinterland killings that took place last Christmas Eve, through his lawyer, told the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts yesterday that he had nothing to do with murders.
The suspect identified as Kurtland Damon, 42, also known as “Cartoe”, was charged with the murder of Sherwin Goddette and Shawn France, two miners who were brutally stabbed to death along a trail heading to their camps located in the Nassano Backdam, North West District, Region One.
Kaieteur News had incorrectly reported on Monday that Damon was still at large and the suspect to be charged would have been Thomas Kyte, aka “Taco”, who had turned himself into police last Wednesday after a wanted bulletin was issued for both of them.
This newspaper was able to confirm that detectives arrested Damon sometime later. Both Damon and Kyte were interrogated but the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Shalimar Ali Hack, SC, had advised that only one of them be charged with murder and that suspect was Damon.
Kyte was released on bail while Damon was placed before the court to face the murder charge.
During his appearance, his attorney told the court that his client was innocent. According Damon’s version of the events, he was knocked unconscious during a bar fight and had recovered from that state lying next to his injured son, Devor Sthol, who was allegedly stabbed to his abdomen by Shawn France.
He was not required to plead to the indictable charge and was remanded to prison until a later date.
According to reports, France and Goddette are friends and had gone to the Nassano Landing on Christmas Eve, during the day, to party at a bar. At the bar, France allegedly started an argument with the bartender over a bottle of champagne.
The argument turned into a fight and involved other patrons who tried to defend the bar tender. France had allegedly armed himself with a pair of scissors to fend them off and eventually stabbed one to his abdomen.
A gunshot in the air ended the fight around 22:30hrs and the stabbed patron, Devor Sthol, fell to the floor severely injured.
Sthol was picked up and rushed to the Port Kaituma Hospital for emergency medical attention. He was eventually airlifted to the city for a surgery. According to information police received, his father Kurtland Damon, was told about the incident which left his son critically injured.
Witnesses reportedly told cops that Damon and Kyte decided to ambush Damon son’s attackers that same night, fatally stabbing them on a trail leading to their camp.
By time police got to the scene, their bodies had already started to decompose. As a result, police decided to bury them in marked graves with the intention of exhuming the corpses at a later date for the autopsies.
:
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Aug 23, 2026
Kaieteur Sports – The stage is set for the most lucrative day in Guyana’s horse racing, today, Sunday August 23 at Rising Sun Turf Club. The weather conditions are immaculate, and 14...Aug 23, 2026
(Kaieteur News) – In the 1970s when I was a young employee of a large, service-oriented private-sector firm in Guyana, I was not yet a confirmed employee and therefore could not wear the prescribed uniform. But I was nevertheless expected to dress in a manner appropriate to the office. One day I...Aug 23, 2026
By Sir Ronald Sanders (Kaieteur News) – I have been an advocate of the Caribbean Court of Justice from its conception. In 2015, on the Court’s tenth anniversary, I described its creation as arguably the most significant institutional achievement of the English-speaking Caribbean since the...Aug 23, 2026
Hard Truths by GHK Lall (Kaieteur News) – First, they had their arms wrapped around demand. Then the PPP Govt confessed. It did not. They had plans and visions. Only for those to become blurred. It’s the haze of the “unusually hot” weather, stupid. What’s so hard about...Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: glennlall2000@gmail.com / kaieteurnews@yahoo.com