Relatives of clothes/cap vendor Xuan Husler who was fatally stabbed during a reported row over $40 dollars are rejecting that scenario and are saying he was killed in circumstance still unknown.
Speaking on behalf of the family, his reputed wife Tahnee Jofiah, said they are not satisfied with the version of events as reported. She said the issue about $40 dollars was not likely because “Xuan had money in his wallet”, and according to her he was simply not an aggressive person. Jofiah called him a regular jokester who was probably joking at the time of the incident.
She admitted that the family can only speculate at this time because they are without the facts, but she observed that they may never know the truth. The woman referred to the entire incident as strange because when she turned up at Stabroek Market to investigate on her own people were offering conflicting accounts.
“…I was made to understand that he was not armed with any cutlass but that he was reaching for one after he was injured. People are saying how he attacked the man but others are saying that it looked like they are joking”, she stated. The woman said she is unsure which version of the events to believe, but knowing her deceased husband she said it is likely he was not armed. Jofiah stated that the family found money in Husler’s wallet which according to her points to him not being broke and in need of cash. She said the story about $40 dollars really hurts the family because it comes over as if he was in need of that money. She said that families would usually vouch for the character of persons who died in similar situations saying “they are good and never had trouble”, but noted that she knew Husler had “his good sides and bad”. But she was adamant that he fought hard to stay out of trouble, particularly at the market.
“He was a good man and I can say that without trying to paint an untrue picture of him. He worked hard and he spent time at that stand making a decent living. This entire episode is so hard for me given that I don’t know what happened, I just know that he is gone”, she said.
The woman said she had barely had a bite to eat since the news hit her and that she is struggling to stay calm. She said the entire family is grieving for Husler because he was dear to them.
Reports were that Husler and his assailant were arguing over $40 dollars when Husler attacked with a cutlass and the man retaliated and stabbed him fatally. He died while receiving attention at the public hospital and was said to have lost a lot of blood. The police in a press release stated that it was alleged Husler had assaulted his assailant prior to being wounded.
