Ex-cop hacked to death at Kildonan

A former policeman was brutally hacked about his body and left on a Kildonan, Corentyne street where the body was discovered in a crouching position early yesterday morning.

Sheldon Matheson

Dead is Sheldon Matheson, called ‘Mossi’, 32, of Lot 40 Alness village. He was found close to a roadside stall and his body bore a gaping wound to his lower back, another to his right hand, close to his wrist and his throat was slit. The motive for the attack was not clear.

A resident, Mookesh Beharry, told Stabroek News that he woke up yesterday at around 6 am and upon looking out his window, he saw something in a crouching position. At first, he said, he thought it was a dog, but upon looking carefully he recognized that it was a person.  He raised an alarm and many residents gathered.

When this newspaper arrived on the scene at about 6:20 am, a large crowd gathered to look at the body. It was observed that the body bore a gash on the lower back and there was another one on the right hand, close to the wrist. Matheson’s jersey was drenched with blood. His national identification card and his driver’s licence were found about 100 metres away from him. His black slippers were found 10 metres away from him.

Persons surmised that it seemed as though he was running away from his attacker(s) and finally hid behind the stall.  The killer(s) then caught up with him and slit his throat.

When the police arrived, they turned the body and it was observed that his head was almost completely severed at his neck.

Matheson’s aunt, Ann Harlequin told Stabroek News that her nephew had left home at around 10 pm on Saturday, saying that he was going to Alness to attend a family reunion. He left on a bicycle.

Relatives at the reunion said that he spent just a few minutes there and left to go back home. However, Matheson left his bicycle opposite his home and went to Limlair, where he was seen at a disco with some friends. No one could say how he ended up at Kildonan.

Harlequin told this newspaper that at about 3 am yesterday, he called asking that Jamal, his 17-year-old cousin, go to Limlair on the bicycle to pick him up. She responded that she could not let the teen out of the house at that hour and suggested that Matheson sleep at his cousins in that area. He responded “alright me gone walk easy, easy and come home”, Harlequin said. It was the last time she spoke to him.

He sounded as “if he was drinking (alcohol). But he didn’t even say that something happen to he.

Maybe if he did say anything we woulda go up there for he”, Harlequin said. She said that Matheson did not like to sleep out and sometimes slept in a hammock under the bottom flat.

When she woke up yesterday, she went to check if he was there and “and this mek I know say something happen to he. He don’t trouble anybody, and he don’t even go out much”, said the woman. She disclosed that Matheson was a member of the Guyana Police Force Tactical Services Unit but resigned about 18 months ago.