After being on the run for a little over nine years, the police on Friday evening arrested the suspect in the murder of Mahdia gold miner Joseph Willy.
Willy was shot on April 12, 2007 at White Water, Mahdia, allegedly by Alvin Calder. He subsequently died.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Stabroek News that police, acting on information received on Friday evening, arrested Calder at a location on the East Bank Demerara.
He was taken into custody and when told of the evidence police have against him, he reportedly admitted to the crime.
He told investigators that he and Willy had a drug deal which went bad and $150,000 was owed to him by Willy who refused to repay.
The suspect provided detectives with a detailed statement during which he explained that he was running a shop at the time and Willy took a quantity of goods amounting to $150,000 without repaying him despite several requests. He added that few days after the goods were taken he saw a relative of Willy sporting heavily and he confronted her.
When Willy learnt of the confrontation, he reportedly approached Calder armed with a cutlass and was shot twice.
Calder immediately left the interior and later leant that Willy had died. Since then, he told police, he has been hiding.
