The suspect wanted in connection with the early Friday morning murder of Gertrude Edwards at Ithaca, West Berbice, was captured yesterday in a cane field at Lochaber, West Canje.

Police sources told this newspaper that based on information received ranks combed the area and around 10 am they caught Gladstone Williamson, 31. He is expected to be charged shortly.

Gladstone Williamson

Reports are that he slit the throat of Edwards who was his reputed wife.

The man then allegedly attempted to murder her daughter, Kerry Edwards and a niece, Samantha Charles by slitting their throats as well, after Edwards ran over to a neighbour’s house to seek help.

She collapsed and died on the neighbour’s stairs while the police took the girls to the New Amsterdam Hospital where they were admitted patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

This newspaper learnt that the girls were improving and that yesterday they were transferred to the open ward.

Edwards was said to have left her home at Angoy’s Avenue a few months ago to escape abuse at the hands of Williamson.The man’s mother, Brenda Williamson of Ituni had said that she spent last Christmas with the couple and although she witnessed her son and Edwards quarrelling, she had never seen him beating Edwards.

However, she said, both Edwards and the couple’s neighbours had complained to her that her son was in the habit of beating Edwards. She said she sat and talked to her son about his abusive attitude towards her daughter-in-law. According to her, she told him, “It wasn’t right to hit her and if he was angry he should have walked away.”

The neighbour, Oluremi Anthony who Edwards ran to for help, told this newspaper that around 12:15 am she was jerked out of her sleep by loud pounding on her door and looked out to see the blood-soaked Edwards on the landing clutching her throat.

Unable to speak, Edwards pointed in the direction of her home and removed her hand briefly to show the gaping wound. Edwards, a vendor at the New Amsterdam stelling, was last seen at an Indian Arrival Day celebration at the Blairmont Centre Ground on Thursday night.

A woman told this newspaper that Edwards, who appeared to be in her usual jolly mood, left to go home when the show ended after 11 pm.

There are reports that the woman entered the home with Williamson, and after some time they started arguing and then he his attack Edwards had been occupying the apartment at Ithaca with Kerry and Samantha as well as two smaller children she had borne for Williamson.

Six-year-old Gladstone Jnr and five-year-old Althea Williamson were unharmed.