Toshao found dead with 19 stab wounds at city hotel

Dec 17, 2024 News

---

…male friend seen leaving hotel 

Kaieteur News- A 37-year-old Toshao of Tasserene village, Middle Nazaruni, Region Seven was found murdered with some 19 stab wounds, inside a city hotel early Monday morning.

Dead is Ridley Joseph. His body was found lying face down in a pool of blood around 07:30hrs. Police believe that he was killed between 00:50 and 07:39hrs. Joseph was also a member of the recently elected Executive Committee of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) and had travelled to Georgetown on Sunday for its second official meeting that was scheduled for Monday.

Police said Joseph checked in at the Signature Inn Hotel located on Laluni Street Queenstown – where five other toshaos were staying – around 18:23hrs on Sunday for one night and was given room 135. Shortly after checking-in, Joseph left the hotel but returned around 00:50hrs in the company of an Amerindian man carrying a Rude Boy (popular alcoholic beverage) bottle in his hand. They stopped at the reception area where Joseph bought a bottle of water before they both went to his room. At around 02:19 hrs, police said the man was seen exiting Joseph’s room and leaving the hotel. He was captured on surveillance footage walking out of the building and then heading west along Laluni Street. He then turned south onto Albert Street and disappeared into the darkness.

Joseph’s bloodied body was discovered by the hotel’s receptionist. According to Police, the body was seen lying in a pool of blood through a hole punched through the room door.  “On the floor of the walkway leading to the room, several reddish stains suspected to be blood stains were seen,” Police said, adding that there were several footwear impressions seen in the blood that pooled around Joseph’s body.  There was also a Rude Boy bottle lying close by and blood splatters were seen on the walls and the room’s ceiling.  “Bloodstains were also found behind the door,” Police said.  An examination of the body by crime scene investigators revealed that it bore a total of 19 stab wounds.

Eleven were seen to the right side of the man’s back, while four were seen in the centre of his back. Two were seen to right side of his chest, one to the left side of his neck and one to his right eye. As Police continue efforts to crack the case, they are trying to identify the Amerindian man who accompanied Joseph to hotel and left alone.

Meanwhile, Joseph’s death has sent shockwaves through the country. Tributes began pouring in across social platforms. Joseph was not only a Toshao but also a health worker and Medex who worked in several indigenous villages throughout his career. Apart from his friendly personality, Joseph was very active on Facebook and is known for posting funny memes and jokes. His last active post was made around 23:34 hrs on Sunday. He shared a meme, with the phrase “Private relationship is always good until you find out, you are the fourth one.” He captioned it “Woi…omg… ” and that was the last post he made before he was found brutally murdered hours later. Friends, relatives and co-workers were not the only ones posting tributes and expressing their shock.

The Ministry of Health expressed sympathy on behalf of the country’s entire health fraternity to the Toshao’s loved ones. The Ministry said that Joseph was scheduled to graduate on the day he was tragically murdered.  “Joseph was expected to graduate today (Monday) as the ‘Best Graduating Student’ of the Health Ministry’s Registered Nursing Assistant (RNA) programme in Region 10” the Ministry stated, adding that he “was a stalwart in healthcare and an exemplary student who demonstrated good leadership qualities, dedication and commitment during his training.”

“Today, he would have also been receiving the following awards: RNA deemed the most compassionate, RNA who demonstrated a high level of integrity, most outstanding RNA in Clinical nursing and, RNA who performed excellently in academics,” the Ministry added.

Meanwhile, the NTC in its statement said Toshao Joseph and 19 others were preparing to participate in its final executive meeting for the year when things took a tragic turn. “His leadership, dedication, and contributions to his district and the NTC will always be remembered,” the NTC said.

Former Parliamentarian and executive member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Mervyn Williams, in a statement, said the gruesome murder of a Village leader raises the question of security of Indigenous Leaders everywhere in Guyana. “Now Guyana is confronted by the gruesome murder of an elected Village leader, a Justice of the Peace, and Rural Constable. Toshao Joseph was in Georgetown on official business. He was here to speak for and represent the interest of his people, both at the Village and National levels. The government must do better by Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples. It is not enough to engage in theatrics. It is not enough to play to the gallery and pretend that all is well. The Indigenous population of Guyana is at its most fragile state ever. No effort should be spared in swiftly bringing closure to this investigation and bringing the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice. No effort should be spared in ensuring the future safety and security of our Indigenous Leaders while on duty, executing the functions of their elected offices in the best interest of their principals, the Indigenous Guyanese population,” Williams said.

(Toshao found dead with 19 stab wounds at city hotel)

---

• exemplary student, Laluni Street Queenstown, police, RNA, Tasserene Village

---