One week after the lifeless body of a pregnant 18-year-old female was pulled out of the eastern side of the river in the vicinity of Gaettroy Village, Berbice, her boyfriend was today charged for her murder.
Dickwon Nigel Adams of Lot 17 Smithfield, New Amsterdam and DeVeldt Village, Upper Berbice River, today appeared before Magistrate Wanda Fortune at the Linden Magistrate Court. Adams who reportedly confessed to beating the young woman in the head with a paddle was not required to plead to the charge which stated that on June 17 at Gaettroy Village, Berbice River, he murdered Melissa Soman. He was remanded to prison for the offence.
Last week, police in a release said that the young woman was last seen alive on June 17, 2020, at around 20:30 hrs at Gaettroy Village, Berbice River. She was in the company of a 48-year-old labourer of New Amsterdam, Berbice, and at the time was returning home from a birthday party which was held in the same village where she lived.
At the time, she and the man were in his wooden boat.
Police said that the teenager related to the man that she and her boyfriend were having problems, after which she suddenly plunged overboard. However, further investigation revealed that the young woman and her boyfriend were involved in a heated argument after he accused her of dancing with a number of persons including the 48-year-old labourer, who is his uncle, at the party.
He allegedly told the ranks that while they were in the boat on their way home, he attacked her and his uncle with a paddle. When the police retrieved her body, it was observed that the upper portion of her face and right hand appeared to have been eaten by fishes.
