Jealous lover commits suicide after hammering wife to death

An ex-soldier last Saturday morning hammered his wife to death in their Jonestown, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home and then took his own life. Vanessa Richmond-James, 26, of 125 Jonestown, Mahaica ECD was discovered on Saturday morning about 06: 00h by her sister who went to check on her after receiving news that her brother-in-law ingested a poisonous substance.
Richmond’s husband, Ryan James, 30, reportedly collapsed in a neighbour’s yard after informing them that he ingested weedicides, which were stored in his bathroom. He was rushed to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival, while the woman was found on her bed with her throat slit and several stab wounds on the back. Her hands and feet were bound.
Police investigators have since taken possession of a bloodstained hammer from the scene which is suspected to be one of the murder weapons used to commit the act. At the house of the murdered woman on Saturday morning, her mother, Shelia Lewis explained that her daughter visited her last Friday evening at her house to plait her hair in preparation for a wedding on Saturday.
She said during their discussions, her daughter informed her that she wanted to end the relationship with James, but as a mother, she encouraged her to stay “for the sake” of the couple’s two-year-old son.
Insecure
Her daughter, she noted complained of James’ insecurity, noting that he would return home every afternoon and questioned their son. “He would come home and find out from he son, how much time the phone ring… who called… where Vanessa went… who she left with… what she wear… why she didn’t answer the landline and de list go on,” the aggrieved mother stated.
She said after plaiting her hair, her daughter left for her home and went to her in-laws to drop off her son to spend the night there since she had intentions of attending the “queh queh”.
The distraught mother said later in the night, she received a telephone call from her daughter enquiring about her location. “I tell she I home and she can go ahead… she and she husband left for the function and we went later,” she added.
Close to midnight, Lewis stated that her daughter informed her that she was leaving. “I stay back and then left about 03: 00h; I went to the market and meh husband nephew come collect we and drop we home… so whilst home, we had to pass meh daughter house so I called out fuh she but I ain’t get no answer, but the house light went on… so I went home and drop meh self on the bed,” she revealed.
About 06: 00h, she was awakened by her nephew’s voice calling at the gate and got up to find out what he wanted. “He seh that Vanessa husband drink poison and the neighbour called he mother who tek he to the hospital… I draw on meh clothes and rushed to the neighbour house who tell me fuh go look for Vanessa… I sent meh daughter and she start scream and tell me to come in de house.”
Gruesome scene
Lewis went on to say that upon entering her daughter’s house, she saw Vanessa’s lifeless body on the bed with her face covered with a pillow, a cloth in her mouth and her hands and feet tied.
As investigators arrived on the scene, they confirmed that the woman was lashed to head and her back bore several holes which indicated that she was stabbed. The body of the woman was removed and taken to the Lyken’s Funeral Home where it is awaiting a post-mortem examination.
Guyana Times International was able to see Vanessa’s diary and in it contained several accusations of infidelity made by her husband. James was a cash crop farmer while Vanessa was a housewife, who looked after their kitchen garden. The couple dated for several years, but they got married about two years ago even though their relationship was rocky, sources say.