A 31-year-old welder has been remanded to prison on two murder charges following the deaths of his reputed wife, Donette Albert, 29, and their three-year-old son, Keron Latchman.
The two died in a fire that destroyed their home at Charity, Essequibo Coast.
The accused, Mahindra Latchman, appeared before the court recently, where he was charged in connection with the deaths and remanded to prison.
He was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge.
The tragedy occurred on Monday, October 19, when the family’s one-storey wooden house was engulfed in flames.
Preliminary reports indicated that the fire occurred at the family’s home in the David James Housing Scheme, Charity, at about 07:20 hrs.
Reports stated that Latchman and Albert had reportedly been involved in an argument earlier that morning.
Latchman reportedly told investigators that he had gone downstairs to brush his teeth when he noticed the house was on fire.
He claimed that he attempted to re-enter the burning building to rescue Albert and their son but was unable to do so because of the intensity of the flames.
Firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze, after which the charred remains of Albert and the child were discovered inside the building.
The Guyana Fire Service launched an investigation to determine the origin and cause of the fire.
The couple had reportedly been in a relationship for about four years and had moved to the David James Housing Scheme approximately two years before the tragedy.
Latchman remains on remand as the case proceeds through the courts. The victims were laid to rest on October 23, 2026, in Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini).
