-Husband being guarded at hospital
A Festival City cosmetologist died yesterday morning after being stabbed on Saturday and her husband who is the suspect was hospitalized later in the day after taking a poisonous substance.
Latoya Conway Woolford, 29, of 2041 Humming Bird Street, Festival City, North Ruimveldt succumbed to a single stab wound just above her belly button early yesterday morning. Relatives said they received the devastating news at about 7 am from the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).
Latoya Conway Woolford
Reports are that Latoya and her 34-year-old husband, Charles Anthony Woolford, had argued after which the man stabbed her, took money from the house and left.
After hiding for several hours and threatening to commit suicide Charles apparently ingested a poisonous substance and was taken to the GPHC shortly after 3 pm yesterday where he remained guarded by police up to press time.
According to relatives, Latoya was sitting in her bedroom combing her hair when Charles entered with a knife hidden behind his back, advanced, spun his wife around and plunged the knife in her “belly”.
A relative said that the two were arguing because she wanted to go to the back of South (South Ruimveldt) to do her friend’s nails. The relative said that Charles went outside and got a knife and came back with it behind his back and then stabbed her.
After the stabbing the relative said that Charles ran outside with the knife and then came back in, grabbed all the money which Latoya had in the room and left.
Talia Rayside, a cousin of the deceased who lives in the upper flat of the Lot 2041 house, reported that at approximately 4.30 pm she heard the screams coming from the lower flat but had no time to investigate.
Latoya, she said, came staggering into her upper flat apartment clutching her stomach. The wounded woman, according to Rayside, was immediately rushed to a private hospital where she received emergency medical attention and then was transferred by ambulance to GPHC.
Latoya and her husband Anthony Woolford on their wedding day.
The distressed cousin explained that Latoya was attended to speedily at GPHC, spent two hours in the operating theatre and was then transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where she later died. Rayside said that while they were in the car Latoya showed signs of being in a dire state.
Relatives further told Stabroek News that they believe Charles knew what he wanted to do because prior to stabbing his wife he had locked the gate and then the front door.
While Stabroek News was at the house yesterday afternoon Charles spoke to several relatives via telephone.
“Tony how you feel that you wife dead and you lef you three children here?” one relative asked, “You ain’t feel nothing? Is best you tell we where you deh cause the police will find you eventually.”
The couple, relatives explained, had been together for about one decade and had argued before to the point where the police were involved. Rayside, however, said that as far as she knew this was the first time physical violence had been used.
Latoya’s parents are also deceased but her relatives insisted that they will take care of the children; Marcia, her 8-year-old sister, Macyann, and 3-year-old brother, Shemar.
The 29-year-old mother was a cosmetologist who often worked from home. She and Charles had only moved back to the Festival City address about one year ago, Rayside said.
Rayside further informed this newspaper that the police had visited the scene and were to return.
Latoya also leaves to mourn three brothers and several half sisters and brothers, and many other relatives.
One foster brother said that Latoya was planning to move out, to escape because she was trapped but when questioned about this the family refused to comment further. The latter part of 2008 saw an upsurge in domestic violence cases.
The cousin who lives in the upper flat said she heard the scream,but had no time to investigate….the same one who said this is the first time that there was physical violence….I wonder what he heard about his wife,and from who? I must confess that I am seething with rage right now,some of these cases are caused by hearsay,husband hears something about his wife and he loses it, the persons who do the wicked deed of corrupting the minds of these stupid men have blood on their hands…he is sorry for what he did,but it is too late,he has destroyed his family..sympathies to her children,and siblings!!
This is a sad ending for a beautiful young couple who could indeed have done so much for their country. Condolences to family.
Why however is Stabroek News giving a domestic dispute (which sadly and apparently led to a dath) lead story prominence on Internet edition (and probably on print edition too) ? Trying to compete (incresae readership) with another paper by sensationalising news and pander to people’s baser instincts about blood and gore ? Get a grip on yourself, SN management and report some of the good, developmental things the government is doing…
get your own paper,and then you can report all the good news you want, and if you don’t like stabroek news go read the chronicle, and in mean time keep quiet.
Firstly my condolences to the family,sadly another unnecessary loss of life.Mr. Reddy perhaps you read this newspaper cock-eyed there is currently a lot of campaign going on in this country to stamp out domestic voilence,tell me what better medium should be used to highlight the atrocities of domestic voilence. You seem to have a gripe with SN, and your claim of the good developemental things the Govt. is doing is part of that campaign if you have not noticed.And just perhaps it be may those developemental things that may have an effect on people that causes domestic voilence. One cannot expect investmeents in infrastructure alone to make the citizens of a country happy and content. There must also be investments in the Human Factor or all your other investments will pale. Once again my sympathies to the family.
I think you should stick to reading the Nation news papers!
Reddy, you’re the only one who needs to get a grip of yourself. What is your problem with SN ? You constantly bash them at every chance you get. If you think they’re so awful, why read the paper everyday ?
Seriously, just step back and take a breath. Go on the beach on relax, while we here deal with our problems UN-SUGERCOATED and NOT-WATERED DOWN.
Readdy, what do you want? What do you want SN to do? Pretend that this horrid crime did not happen? I am lost for words to reply to your proverbial ostrich mentality. A woman was murdered and all you can see is SN trying to make sales? Talking about tunnel vision, you have it bad my friend.
Reddy, domestic violence is on the increase.It is news and the media must cover it. Even the First Family has not escaped the problems of domestic abuse. The men getting outta hand and the Women groups, and female parliamentarians seem powerless to do anything about it.
Wake up Reddy and see the light..the men in Guyana gone crazy.
I totally agree with amen-ra. There is too much domestic violence going on in the guyanese society, having said that i think the men in guyana needs some re-education on relationships— communication skills, etc. We cannot wait on the legal system in guyana to change peoples, attitudes, behaviour, etc.
PRINT THE TRUTH DO NOT HIDE UP ANYTHING SO LONG IT IS WITHIN THE LAW PRINT THE NEWS AND REPORT FAIR.
Readdy, i believe u like to look for attention, even in the midst of tremendous grief you exhibit ignorance and callousness. What good is the govt. doing! even chronicle can’t print any good news on the govt. behalf. If you don’t have anything to say just be silent you should not be the kind of people advocating for the government, because you are a major turn off, instead of them gaining favourable ratings you will cause them to loose.
May the family of Latoya find strength in the Almighty, and the children should be counselled through this difficult period in their young lives.
Reddy bhai, stan easy. Me teech plenty Reddy in Berbice, and dem bin smart…
REDDY,there is an old saying. Where ignorance is bliss,it is folly,to be wise. And that is you,in a nut shell.
Let Jones tell us if Trindiad is better than Guyana in terms of crime especially murder…
what good developmental things are our unsung heros in the government doing?????
My mother always told me if you ain’t got anything good to say, keep ya mouth shut! You speak as somebody without “common sense”…This, for your information is called NEWS…read a book!
HEY BANNA DEH PON YA ITATIONS. YOU TALKING NUFF SCHUBIDITINESS.
Whenever there is something good to report, they do. What hole in B,dos you coming out from? If you have nothing to say, this is not the place.
wow a young mother killed.three innocent children left with out mother love..is really sad…may her soul R.I.P.MAY THE KILLER BE PUT AWAY IN PRISON FOR LIFE IF HE SURVIVE…..MY CONDOLENCES TO THESE CHILDREN AND THE ENTIRE FAMILIES OF LATOYA….BE STRONG GOD WILL TAKE CARE AND SEE YOU ALL THROUGH THIS TIME OF MOURNING AND SUFFERING….
What a mess. Rumoure, distrust & the like have NO PART in successful marriages. May her soul Rest In Peace & my sympathy goes out to her family.
my condolences to the family
of latoya and her children
oh gosh! what a good looking couple???????? I think that he should have walk away and think before he did such a crime, very sad story. sorry for those innocent children,who lost their mother so young and father lost his freedom………..To the family, god will give you all the strength to stand up and be strong for the kids,in this your time of mourning….RIP LATOYA
pat its easy said than done may god be with both families no one knows why he reacted in such a manner only god knows the truth so he is the only judge
charles looks very happy in that wedding picture.
Which part of him in the pic shows that he is happy?
happy???, i disagree to me his expression says if you messed with her i will kill you.
So sad to once again read about a sad story in my country what a waste of life , if you guys cannot live together go your separate ways for a time maybe that will help to bring people back together later think people killing each other is not the answer soon there will be a lot of fatherless , and motherless children in guyana because of domestic voilences what a waste my heart felt sympathy to the surviving families on both sides, stop the senseless killing people.
My condolences goes out to the family, i am sure that he was raised in an abusive home and probably he was beaten in school by his teachers,and the saying says violence begets violence, guyana is a a very violent society.
amen-ra
hog wash….if he was beaten by his parents and by teachers then at his age he should know better…its not a teenager we talking about here…its a grown man with long ears listening to crap about his wife…..he should be dead as a door knob for all i care……condolences to her family…
This don’t sit right with me, Amen-ra. I have been beaten by my parents and teachers and never lifted my hands to hit anyone.
What makes you so SURE that Charles was raised in a voilent family? you should take a course in HUMAN PSYCOLOGY. to know what WEAKNES;, in whatever form it takes, can do a humanbeing. These men who use voilence are just a SET OF WEAK-LINKS, LOOSERS who are ashamed to admit it
i do not know what to say, these men need to just walk away especially when children are involved. He allegedly murdered their mother and ingested a poisonous substance, I hope he lives to face the consequences. My sympathy goes out to the family of the deceased