Ex-con plans to serve others

Four days after he walked out of jail, self-confessed wife killer Godson Abraham Neptune, stood before a pulpit in Guapo yesterday and promised to spend the rest of his life serving others. Neptune, a former University of the West Indies (UWI) tutor and former acting director of the Employers’ Consultative Association, spent 26 years in prison after being convicted in November 1987, for murdering his wife, Myrna, at their home.

Last Wednesday, after contributing to successful prison reform programmes, he was given a presidential pardon by President George Maxwell Richards. Before his conviction, Neptune studied at the University of Caracas and worked as a bilingual tutor at UWI. He was also a researcher for the late Dr Eric Williams.

As he stood before a congregation at The Way of Holiness Church, Neptune broke down in tears as he recalled how his love for alcohol led to his wife’s death. “I suffered from alcohol intolerance a condition that enabled me to go into a state-of-mind where I could not remember anything, but I will do the most outrageous things,” Neptune said.

He explained that when he murdered his wife, he could not remember committing the act and found himself in some bushes in Arouca two days later. “Those are 48 hours of my life which I will never know. While I was in prison what I missed most was my wife. This was not a murder committed because of any quarrel,” Neptune said. He said that after he was convicted, it took him 13 years to give his life to God.

In 1993, he was invited to participate in a Literacy Improvement programme for convicted non-literate inmates. There were two inmates tutors involved, together with two civilian volunteers. Neptune said he worked as store room orderly and tutor until January 2000 when he was transferred to the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca to participate in an expanded educational programme consisting of increased Literacy Education classes and additional CXC subjects.

“I taught English “A” and social studies, general proficiency level,” Neptune added. However, he said he also learnt important lessons in  prison and with hope and prayers he was able to escape the hangman’s noose. “I want to let you know that there is life after prison as prison can produce reconstructed, reformed, constructive, corrective souls for society,” Neptune said.

He said his wife, who worked as a librarian at UWI, St Augustine, did not deserve to die because she was “exemplary.” “It was my stupidity and failure to love and protect my wife that led to this. It is something I live with daily,” Neptune said. He said he met Pastor Wilma Kelly in 2000 and decided to give back his life to God.

“Within 15 days I was baptised and it was then I knew that something good will come out of this. I knew that one day something positive will happen to me,” Neptune said. He told the congregation that he expected God’s mercy for his crime, but knew that it was something society will not forgive easily.

“Humans forgive but they will not forget. God says ask for forgiveness and your sins I will remember no more,” Neptune added. Asked what he planned to do for the rest of his life, Neptune said it was dependent on Pastor Kelly. He could offer no advice for other prisons but promised to continue to work with authorities regarding prison reform.