Samuel Bristol, the jilted man who took two lives before ending his own, was described as “wicked” by the relatives of the two men.
The distraught mother of Jason John told Stabroek News that her son, who was a dancer, did not deserve to die the way he did. “Why he [Bristol] attack me child?” the mother questioned. “He was wicked. If he had problems with he ex, that had nothing to do with my child.” Meanwhile, Carlyle Sinclair’s sister said that her brother had left his mother’s Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo home on Saturday for Georgetown, where he lived. She said the family was still in shock.
During the early hours of Sunday morning, Bristol who reportedly confessed to the murders, stabbed Sinclair several times and left him on a sidewalk on Lombard Street. Minutes later, John’s body was found lying in a pool of blood on Leopold Street about 20 feet from High Street with several stab wounds as well.
Civil society and human rights activist Zenita Nicholson told this publication via telephone that she was deeply saddened at the murders. She said it was shocking and heart rending.
Nicholson said too that the tragedy had again raised concerns on how such crimes were reported in the media. She said the reports were sensationalising the tragedy and were not fair and balanced. Moreover she said, that kind of reportage promoted hatred towards Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) persons. Nicholson described Sinclair also known as “Tyra” and John also known as “Jada” as talented and promising youths. She said Sinclair was very funny and had a great sense of humour, while John was focused and involved in the Diverse Youth Movement. She said John was also a talented dancer and model.
According to a post on John’s Facebook page, he was moving to Suriname to pursue his dream of modelling and dance. John was scheduled to participate in a modelling workshop hosted by Suriname ‘N Style in August.
According to reports, on Saturday night, Bristol had gone to the St George’s Cathedral area, where he was involved in an argument with a sex worker. Bristol allegedly had a flammable liquid in a bottle and had unsuccessfully attempted to douse some of the workers at the location with it.
His plans were thwarted after others were alerted and rushed at him. Stabroek News was told that a passing crew from the security outfit MMC, rescued the man as he was sprinting away from the enraged group.
It was after this that he apparently happened on John and Sinclair. Bristol, after committing the double murders, doused himself with the flammable substance and set his body alight. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries after confessing to the murders.
Bristol’s ex-partner Romario Lovell had on Sunday described him as abusive. His relatives later expressed shock that he had a male partner as well as at the events of Saturday night.
