Suspect on remand for hinterland killings

Jan 11, 2022 News

– tells court he is innocent

Kaieteur News – One of the suspects in the hinterland killings that took place last Christmas Eve, through his lawyer, told the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts yesterday that he had nothing to do with murders.

Remanded for two hinterland killings, Kurtland Damon

The suspect identified as Kurtland Damon, 42, also known as “Cartoe”, was charged with the murder of Sherwin Goddette and Shawn France, two miners who were brutally stabbed to death along a trail heading to their camps located in the Nassano Backdam, North West District, Region One.
Kaieteur News had incorrectly reported on Monday that Damon was still at large and the suspect to be charged would have been Thomas Kyte, aka “Taco”, who had turned himself into police last Wednesday after a wanted bulletin was issued for both of them.
This newspaper was able to confirm that detectives arrested Damon sometime later. Both Damon and Kyte were interrogated but the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Shalimar Ali Hack, SC, had advised that only one of them be charged with murder and that suspect was Damon.
Kyte was released on bail while Damon was placed before the court to face the murder charge.
During his appearance, his attorney told the court that his client was innocent. According Damon’s version of the events, he was knocked unconscious during a bar fight and had recovered from that state lying next to his injured son, Devor Sthol, who was allegedly stabbed to his abdomen by Shawn France.
He was not required to plead to the indictable charge and was remanded to prison until a later date.

Released on bail, Thomas Kyte, also known as “Taco”.

According to reports, France and Goddette are friends and had gone to the Nassano Landing on Christmas Eve, during the day, to party at a bar. At the bar, France allegedly started an argument with the bartender over a bottle of champagne.
The argument turned into a fight and involved other patrons who tried to defend the bar tender. France had allegedly armed himself with a pair of scissors to fend them off and eventually stabbed one to his abdomen.
A gunshot in the air ended the fight around 22:30hrs and the stabbed patron, Devor Sthol, fell to the floor severely injured.
Sthol was picked up and rushed to the Port Kaituma Hospital for emergency medical attention. He was eventually airlifted to the city for a surgery. According to information police received, his father Kurtland Damon, was told about the incident which left his son critically injured.
Witnesses reportedly told cops that Damon and Kyte decided to ambush Damon son’s attackers that same night, fatally stabbing them on a trail leading to their camp.
By time police got to the scene, their bodies had already started to decompose. As a result, police decided to bury them in marked graves with the intention of exhuming the corpses at a later date for the autopsies.
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