The quiet community of Cottage, Mahaicony, which residents say has not seen a crime more serious than petty theft in decades, was left unsettled on Sunday evening when a teenager stabbed another to death after an argument about a mud-splattered vest.
Eon Benjamin
Eon Benjamin, 15, of Lot 2 Cottage, Mahaicony died shortly after he was stabbed thrice about the body by a 13-year-old boy. Benjamin, according to his mourning parents, left home shortly after 6 pm to buy some things at the shop but never returned.
Earlier that day, Benjamin and two teens from his community went swimming in a nearby trench – the sort of Sunday afternoon activity enjoyed by most rural children. It was actually the beginning of a quarrel that would lead to murder. One of the two boys who accompanied Benjamin decided that a practical joke was in order and hid Benjamin’s vest and slippers.
Benjamin, according to his 36-year-old father Nigel Williams, was a quiet person but was not pleased when one of the teenaged boys splattered mud on his white vest. An argument between the teens slowly escalated and by the time the boys went home around 5 pm the spat turned into a heated confrontation between Benjamin and one of them.
“Eon [Benjamin] and one of the boys who live close to us end up in a chucking match and my wife had to go outside and part them,” Williams told this newspaper yesterday afternoon, “and she sent Eon inside.”
Williams said it was not the teen Benjamin had the physical confrontation with who stabbed him. It was a 13-year-old, who Benjamin might have “exchanged words with” who stalked then stabbed him along the Cottage Public Road, Mahaicony.
Fanella Benjamin, 32, said that she sent her son to buy some food stuff at a nearby shop around 6.20 pm on Sunday. Benjamin, the woman stated, never made it to the shop as he was attacked by the 13-year-old. Her son’s attacker, she explained, had only been living in the area for about six months and had also been sent to the shop by his guardian when he launched the fatal attack on Benjamin.
“A few minutes after Eon left for the shop,” Fanella Benjamin recalled, “a woman by the name of Evette Shepherd came running to my house shouting ‘Fanella! Fanella! Come quick! You son get stab on the road side’ and I run out there immediately.”
However, the mother said that by the time she got to the scene people who had gathered were already putting her son, who was bleeding, into a car. Fanella Benjamin accompanied her son to the Mahaicony Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
“By the time we reach to the hospital the doctors couldn’t do anything to save my son,” Fanella Benjamin said her voice finally beginning to shake. “They pronounced him dead on arrival.”
The woman could not say whether anyone had witnessed Benjamin’s murder but indicated that the area where he was attacked was well illuminated by street lights.
‘…I grabbed my son’s murderer I couldn’t think straight’
Meanwhile, Williams told this newspaper the 13-year-old who stabbed his son to death was taken into police custody shortly after the incident. The teen has since admitted to police that he committed the act, Williams reported, and said he was sorry.
“I wasn’t home when the incident happen, but I was immediately informed,” Williams related. “When I got to the scene the 13-year-old was there and when I grabbed my son’s murderer I couldn’t think straight.”
Williams said that other residents managed to calm him down and reminded him that he still had five surviving children to live for. The distressed father said that Benjamin was his second eldest child and he will not rest until his son’s murderer is charged and taken before the court for his crime.
“Eon didn’t even start living life yet,” Williams said, “and now even I don’t know where he is but he isn’t here with me anymore.”
The man said that he and his reputed wife have been living in Cottage for about 17 years and in all that time they have never heard of such a terrible crime in the community. At 13, Williams said, he certainly would not have armed himself with a knife to settle a spat with a peer.
“Something is wrong with our youths,” Williams stated, “and I honestly don’t know what it is. What would drive a 13-year-old to murder someone for chucking up his friend?”
William’s eldest son, who is 17, has been informed of his sibling’s death and will be returning home today. The man said that his children are aware of their brother’s death and some of them are angry.
“Some of my children are angry about what happened to Eon but me and my wife are talking to them… We are telling them that violence is not the way.”
Another untimely senseless death over an insignificant matter. My condolences to the family and peace to the dearly departed. The cursed land needs a spiritual revival and cleansing.
Borapork; it does not necessarly have to be that way;every humanbeing has a certain amount of agression in them,its a matter of keeping it under controle. I can only speak frompersonal experience. I am no coward (very cheeky/hat-mout)but I do not go about abusing people verbally or physically.My children are alsothe same.We are well apreciated among our net-work be it social or professional.As for the films we sit together from a very young age especially on fridays and saturdays, enjoying every triller, horror or action. My children were given their freedom from the age of sixteen,Disco’s and parties that I was never allowed and they are very homely adults. We are the BRAND-MADE type but that does not mean that we have to go out of our way to have the latest trend. My oldest is one and joungest were the ones who wore nothing else when my oldest started earning her own money she started thinking and until this day she buys when its necessary, my second was the same, since she was 23yrs she had everything one can wish for and can still afford her luxury lifestyle but does not go about wasting her money. One has to know where their piorities lies and that goes with culturing the children. one Could learn,one takes longer to learn,one does notWANT learn and the other CANNOT LEARN. THATS JUST THE WAY LIFE IS…..WE MAKE OUR CHILDREN BUT NOT THEIR MINDS.
Young teens are exposed to too much violence…hip hop/rap music and violent tv shows are contributing factors to the violence we see around us today.
On the money, Witch Dr. Unfortunately, no one wants to take a stand against the decadence and filth that pass for music today. What do the bloggers that support the ban on the likes of Mavado have to say now?
When are we going to learn that music influences the young and impressionable.
Witch Dr you are right on target.
In adding to what you said, we must also factor in the scores of dysfunctional families, spawned by migrating spouses/parents, the pressures on parents to provide for the home etc.
My deep condolences to this family, and I hope that the juvenile who committed this terrible act, is given adequate counseling, least he grow to become one of the “regulars”.
RIP little one, RIP
Witch Dr. let me add some more genre, Raggae, Soca, Calypso, Pan, Chutney, African music, Indian Music etc. Should we move onto movies…
this was a silly post of yours.
Witch Dr. How much rap/hip music did this 13yr old and his friends listen to? I am sure they have never heard hardcore rap. I would like you to tell us how Rap/hiphop music affected/prompted this 13yr old from a dead country area to murder his 15 years friend since you see this and the primary reason? Why haven’t i committed any crimes as yet and i’ve been listen to Rap/hip hop, reggae and all other music? from since i was Eon’s Age? Stop the stereotyping.
If i say the government is responsible for this you’ll see how you would come out swinging. Total rubbish from you.
Obeahman – witch Dr. Stop pedelling the Noth American Approach to inner city crimes. Guyana is a different environment and has little in common with North American Inner City youths.
Think Local Budday.
csingh is your ppp govt. that bring movado to guyana not
the opposition, your ppp regime blame them blame them….
Witch Dr. i wonder how many of you are familiar with the saying WHAT YOU FEAR THAT IS WHAT YOU ATTRACTS? I would not go into details but there are Guyanese that I am very close to here in Europe both self-suffecient and ordinary working classes who gave their children lots of comfort. the latest games and TV in every room but no freedom. what happened? None of the children got collage degree (they were lucky towork their way up the society ladder)tow of the girls got pregnant before marrage and one of the boy does not have a righted job and none of them can SAVE DAAG FLEE FROM D GALLOS.THERE ARE SO MANY EXAMPLES CAN GIVE.It all depends on one’s mentality that they were born with.We all have to walk the path of our destiny.SOME ARE BORN GREAT,SOME ACHIEVE GREATNESS and some have greatness thrust apon them…SOME EVEN GAT LUCK BUT BAD WAN!!!!
You guys have me in stitches:- What goes aroundcomes around.Think back on your own youth,the 60s or the 70s when:- WHAT EVER “price gaan up” and WHAT EVER “teck ova” and WHO EVER “FOOT STICK IN D STAIRIN WHEEL” Those were also no lyric for the OLD MAN’S ears. Didn’t you and your friends enjoyed listening to them? did it make you vulgar,lawless or a criminal.GIVE THE YOUNG PEOPLE A BREAK allow them to be children and be there guide and protect them, otherwise you would be farther away from home. Teach them time and place and pray to God that they take it in.Give your children the opportunity to be able to count on you don’t scare them away.Ask them there opinion of the lyrics, you do not have to join them in listening to the CRAZYNESS,just exchange views.I remember the first time my small brother played one of those tunes,it was in ‘72 my sister had brought back a portable panasonic tape-recorder from the states when my father heard the music he stormed up-stairs and gave that thing ONE KICK it went sliding to the varendha. I acted differently when my son played his LAWLESS music. I simply told him that when I am around I do not want any loud or that sort of NON-SCENCE in my home. he is 26 still at home and keeps his FOUL-MUSIC for himself and friends.
Another senseless killing by the youths in our society, these teens needs to learn how to defuse the tension before it get out of hand, in my time if we had a misunderstanding we fought with our fist and not weopon, nowaday these youths too hasty and quick to use weopon to settle tension, at that age they all should be doing things that teens do, my condolence goes out to this family.
It is very sad to read this story my sympathy goes to the families involved in this matter ,Guyana today is not the place i know as a boy growing up what went so wrong to our society today is even affecting the future generations of tomorrow.
a country in distress guyana has become – violence begat violence.. this is the theme as guyana is plagued by all of these senseless acts of violence. gone are the days when the youths or even adults get down with a good fist fight for we know children will always fight with each other. now a dese days, they seek to kill each other. just like in the us of a our youths are a dying breed.
Condolences to jet another grieving family..What is happening in our dear beloved country? How are we to prevent all this crime,frustration and anger that is going on in a once hospitable and beautiful country?
Open-ended question: “What would drive a 13-year-old to murder?” Whatever the answer(s), the sad fact is that one boy is dead and another will spend 5 years in the NOC and when he emerges he might very well graduate to ‘higher things’. Sad.
HKT I aske same question too but no one does not have the answer to this insane madness…..watch..this…
http://video.aol.co.uk/video-detail/schoolboy-murder-on-the-streets-of-chicago/3299310891
http://buzz.yahoo.com/article/1:y_sports:2840a9d8df188cab9eab2e0f5f020b00/Star-football-player-killed
my sympathy to the benjamin family, these kids in guyana today
are exposed to drugs no future no proper school teachers to
uplift their minds at 13 yrs old with such a vicious mindset
guyana is under siege by the ppp.. SOS.. SOS… SOS..
we are talking about a child death ….. not political parties .HAVE SOME RESPECT .
Abigail, thanks for putting furbo in he place, he can’t see further than his nose, attempting to politicise a neighborhood tragedy.
Wow! 13 year old commits premeditated murder. I cannot believe it. My 13 yr old cannot even wipe his behind properly. This kid has problems. My condolences to the family.
Wrong, CSingh ! The society is a violent society. The people celebrate those with guns and , even legal practitioners, law enforcement officers and Ministers of Gov’t are not dealt with severely when they commit violent acts. Prove me wrong ! Being ’strapped’ is the order of the day . Do it to them, before they do it to you.
My sincere and heartfelt condolences to the parents, immediate family and friends of Eon. May his soul rest in peace.
There are numerous causes that can be blamed for this effect. The one that stands out the most is the exposure of our children to excessive violence on a daily basis. What can we do to correct this situation? Obviously educating our children is the most practical solution but our parents, schools and other institutions seem to be ill equipped to do what is necessary! Among other things the Social Services offered seem to be inadequate in this area. Children need after school activities to bolster their self esteem and values. Someone has to provide it. If not our nation perishes without our youth – Our most valuable asset for nation building!
Let’s hold our condemnation until all the facts come in- Afterall, we dont know what drove this lad to kill.
We all as humans have the potentional to kill if the wrong buttons are pushed.
Best response to Far and Bismattie i agree with you a 100%.
Include as one of those “wrong buttons” a culture where killing a person is dismissed so easily. Notice how our police
takes the role of judge,jury and executioner on so many instances; our state’s alleged involvement with criminal enterprize to kill suspects;bloggers who worship a cold blooded killer and drug dealer all contribute to an atmosphere
that says there is no room for restraint,listening to the voice of reason nor recourse to the courts.
Dear Ms. Bis,
The incident of a muddy vest earlier in the day escalated to this. Nobody want to be last. So I guess his idea of getting even or giving last licks is murder!!