‘How Did a Murder Suspect Get Bail Without Being Remanded?’: Grieving Family of Slain Dairy Youth Demands Justice, Alleges Police Runaround and Cover-Up

By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The grief-stricken family of 24-year-old Akeem Junior Griffith Bannister is crying out for urgent judicial intervention and a thorough, impartial investigation following his brutal murder on Sunday, October 18, 2026, outside a Chinese supermarket at Dairy, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

In an emotional interview with HGP Nightly News, relatives voiced deep anger and distress over the handling of the homicide case by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Regional Division #3.

The family alleged they are being subjected to a continuous runaround by investigators after discovering that the primary accused—a 36-year-old resident known to the family—was reportedly granted bail and released back into the community rather than being remanded to prison on a capital charge.

With Akeem’s interment scheduled for Sunday, November 1, 2026, the family is publicly demanding answers from Acting Commissioner of Police Clifton Hicken, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and the Police Complaints Authority, questioning whether influential police connections are shielding the perpetrator from justice.

The October 18 Attack: History of Bullying Ends in Fatal Stabbing

According to his elder sister, Theresa Griffith, the fatal confrontation at Dairy was the culmination of targeted bullying that began during their childhood:

• Childhood Harassment: Relatives recounted that the 36-year-old suspect had persistently bullied Akeem from a young age, including a previous stabbing incident during his boyhood.
• The Fatal Altercation: On the evening of October 18, outside a local Chinese commercial outlet, the suspect confronted Bannister. Relatives recounted that despite Akeem attempting to back away and avoid a clash, the assailant pursued him and stabbed him multiple times about his body.
• A Peaceful Provider: Family members described Akeem as a peaceful, industrious young man who left secondary school prematurely following the deaths of both his mother and father to work and provide for his younger siblings.

“He get stabbed when he was small and again he was stabbed several times… When we go to the court they got we back and forth… Me brother avoiding he and he still jooking [stabbing] me brother.”

“He used to bully me brother when he was small… And we is people [without] money, we father and mother dead… We went to the police station and they got we back and forth and they bail he.” — Theresa Griffith, Sister of the Deceased

Procedural Red Flags: How Was Bail Granted in a Homicide?

The decision to release the 36-year-old suspect has raised severe legal and procedural questions under Guyanese criminal procedure:

• Non-Bailable Offense: In the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, murder is an indictable capital offense under the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01. Magistrates’ Courts have no statutory jurisdiction to grant bail for murder charges; bail can only be considered by a High Court Judge upon formal application, which typically takes weeks or months.
• Lack of Remand: Cousin Tracey Bannister pointed out that the suspect was never formally remanded into custody at the Timehri or Lusignan Prisons, bypasssing standard arraignment procedures for homicide investigations.
• Allegations of High-Level Interference: Relatives alleged that the 36-year-old suspect is a known community menace who boasts personal ties to senior ranks within the Police Force, raising fears of witness tampering, evidence destruction, or deliberate downgrading of charges without the family’s knowledge.

“We need justice. We want know how this boy get bail without even remanding… We need answers.” — Tracey Bannister, Cousin of the Deceased

Police Silence; Family Prepares for Sunday Funeral

As preparations proceed for Akeem’s burial on Sunday, November 1, relatives stated that their inquiries at local police stations have been met with evasion, conflicting explanations, and dismissive treatment:

• Unanswered Questions: The family has not been formally briefed on whether the investigation docket was dispatched to the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice, or what specific charges were drafted by ranks.
• Efforts to Contact Police Unsuccessful: Investigative efforts by HGP Nightly News to reach senior officers within Regional Division #3 and the Police Public Relations Department for clarification on the status of the case file and the suspect’s legal standing proved futile prior to broadcast.

The Bannister and Griffith families are calling on civil society and human rights bodies to highlight their plight, insisting that being poor and orphaned should not strip an innocent Guyanese citizen of justice under the rule of law.