Angry mob chases, kills Craig man after teacher’s robbery

Aug 30, 2014 News

Eldon Sampson,
about seven years ago

An angry mob yesterday beat a Craig resident to death after he reportedly robbed a teacher. Dead is Eldon Sampson called ‘Sixteen’ of Old Road, Craig, East Bank Demerara.

The incident occurred around 11:00hrs at Samatta Point, a community that lies between Kaneville and Grove, about nine miles from the city.

Sampson, according to family, was only released from jail six weeks ago after an armed robbery conviction that was committed on a prominent Craig businessman.

Neighbours along Well Road, Samatta Point, were tight-lipped yesterday, only admitting that they heard loud shouts and saw a crowd rushing into the area shortly before midday.

One man, who was sleeping, said when he ventured out, he saw the bloodied body of a man on the ground. He was later taken to Diamond Diagnostic Centre by a taxi where he was reportedly pronounced dead.

Police in a statement said that it is investigating Sampson’s death. Investigators found him around 10:45hrs with multiple injuries on the roadway.

“A bag containing $50,000.00, a cell phone and a laptop computer that were reported stolen earlier from a female resident were recovered by the police, along with a bicycle and a knife.”

Residents said that the female teacher was walking on the roadway when she was approached by Sampson, who reportedly fell off his bike in his haste to get at her. He was brandishing a knife.

He managed to grab the bag but the teacher’s shouts for help alerted residents of Back Street, Grove who quickly gave chase. Some were reportedly armed with pieces of wood.

Sampson reportedly dropped his bike and, still clutching the woman’s bag, led the crowd in a chase along a dead-end alleyway. He was quickly cornered. The angry crowd surrounded him and reportedly rained blows for several minutes.

A neighbour said the badly injured man was placed in a car and taken to the hospital. Nobody admitted to seeing who did the beating and police said that no one has been taken into custody.

When media workers arrived at Sampson’s home located on Old Road, Craig, his father, Elvis Sampson, 54, was busy in the yard doing construction work.

He was unaware that his son, one of four children with his wife, had died.

He said that someone had called and told him that his son had been arrested.

The Craig resident admitted that his son had been warned to stay out of trouble.
“He fix up a bike yesterday and he was supposed to go look for a job. This morning (yesterday) I see him with the bike and ask him to stay and help us, but he left.”

The man appeared to take the drastic news calmly and said he was unsure how to relay it to his wife.

Police arrived shortly after to take the elder Sampson to identify his son’s body.

The Grove/Kaneville/Samatta Point area has been a troublesome one for police with daily reports of robberies.

Residents have been expressing anger and resignation over the situation. Recently, a Kaneville man was shot dead in questionable circumstances.