Rice farmer last seen being chased turns up dead

A 42-year-old rice farmer who went missing on Tuesday following an altercation between his friends and another rice farmer, turned up dead with stab wounds in a trench on Wednesday.

Dead is Richard Persaud of Wash Clothes, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara.

According to reports, Persaud along with a 34-year-old labourer, a 47-year-old rice farmer and another man were cooking and imbibing at about 17:00hrs on Tuesday.

Later that night at about 21:30hrs, the suspect, a 25-year-old rice farmer of Johanna Creek, Mahaicony, was driving his tractor when he hit the 34-year-old labourer’s car.

According to the police, the suspect’s brother who was driving behind him got involved in an argument with the labourer, when he took out an object from his car and stabbed him (the labourer).

A fight then broke out between the friends of Persaud and the suspect who followed him after he went into a yard.

“It is unclear what transpired after that as the deceased (Richard) was not seen nor he did not return home and his family began to search for him,” the police said.

His body was found floating in a trench at about 09:00hrs on Wednesday.

Police said the body was observed with a stab wound to the middle of the chest and bruises to the left eye.

Investigations are ongoing.