The reputed husband of a mother of five was taken into Police custody following the death of the woman whose body was found on the East Coast of Demerara on Wednesday evening with numerous injuries about her body.
The dead woman has been identified as 38-year-old Janice Edwards, of lot 121, C Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown.
According to reports reaching this publication, the mother of five and her reputed husband, King Gerrad, were on Wednesday evening allegedly proceeding along the UG Access Road, on motorcycle CJ 1830, when the light of an oncoming vehicle forced the man to swerve, resulting in the motorcycle collided with a pile of mud.
As a result of the impact, Edwards was reportedly flung off the cycle and sustained severe injuries about her body.
The woman was picked up with multiple injuries and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
This publication on Thursday visited the residence of the couple, during which her mother-in-law, Ann Garnette, relayed her understanding of Edward’s demise.
Outlining a partially conflicting report from that which was published by the Guyana Police Force, Garnette noted that, “right through of UG road full of hard mud, and he going and I just hear a message that a car hit he, hit the back of the bike and pitch he off and the two of them lying down on the road.”
The mother-in-law further relayed, “Some pick-up (vehicle) then rush she to the hospital cause like he (husband) halla for help.”
Continuing on the accident, a family friend of the couple who identified himself as “Buck”, indicated that he was informed of the incident shortly after the duo had left home, early Wednesday evening.
Moreover, Buck pointed out what took place after he had rushed to the scene, but indicated that there were no signs of the reputed husband, Gerrad, when he arrived at scene on the UG road.
“By time I left here to go on the scene, it was nothing; no bike, I didn’t see he, I didn’t see she. But I left to come home back and after we reach, I was made to understand she was at the hospital.”
The close acquaintance went on to say, “When we left and go to the hospital, the doctor tell me that there is nothing they could’ve done; before she reach the hospital she done dead already.”
Meanwhile, this publication understands that the reputed husband of the now dead woman had fled the scene of the accident and was only discovered after he showed up at the hospital on Thursday morning.
This was after Police had ransacked the house of the couple, in search of the then missing man. However, the family members are refuting all claims that foul play was involved.
“Because he move off from the scene, people got it looking like it’s a murder but I don’t want people feel it’s a murder,” one close relative declared.
The relative justified his statement by positing, “I just assuming based on what people told me and how I go and see the scene that after the accident, he attend to her and realise it was no life so he just panic and he move off the scene.”
With that, the relatives of the couple held out that the two had no ongoing disputes and are known to resolve their disputes in a civil manner.
Of the five children mothered by Edwards, the duo shared five-year-old twins, while the remaining three were prior to their relationship.
The couple had been residing at their Sophia home for about 9 years, from which they operate a vending establishment.
Despite the family’s efforts to erase any thought of murder, Gerrad has been implicated in the death of his longstanding lover and mother of his children.
As such he was taken into Police custody where he remains as investigations into the matter continue. (Ashraf Dabie)
