Georgetown, Guyana – September 22, 2025 – What was meant to be a night of celebration at Annai Village in the North Rupununi ended in tragedy when 21-year-old John Elliot, a tourist guide at Atta Lodge and resident of Surama Village, was stabbed to death in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The fatal confrontation unfolded around 1:30 a.m. during Amerindian Heritage festivities, when Elliot became embroiled in an altercation with three men. Police say he was stabbed in the chest and collapsed moments later, dying from his wounds.
The suspects have been named as brothers Ronaldo Williams, 20, and Orlando Williams, 18, along with a 16-year-old school drop-out, all of Annai Village. Eyewitness accounts, including that of a female police rank stationed at Annai Police Station, pointed directly to the teenager as the one who delivered the fatal blow. She provided a detailed statement after reportedly seeing him stab Elliot in the chest.
The 16-year-old suspect was later tracked down at the Williams brothers’ home, arrested, and taken to the Annai Police Station. Under questioning, and in the presence of his mother, he denied the allegation and shifted blame onto Orlando.
Doctors at the Annai District Hospital confirmed Elliot suffered two stab wounds, one to the left side of his chest and another to the right side of his rib cage. His post-mortem examination is scheduled for September 22, 2025.
Police have since launched an all-out manhunt for the Williams brothers as the investigation deepens.
A night meant to honour tradition has left a community in shock, a promising young guide dead, and three families entangled in a chilling murder probe that has cast a long shadow over this year’s Heritage celebrations.
