Murder most horrid

Life is not all about ha ha hee hee, let's rant about music and the tortures at work.  When something really horrible happens it brings a shock to the system and you stop and think.  Then you realise you're nothing but a grain of sand that at any moment you'll be swept away by the wind and nothing else matters any more...

Last Saturday night my nephew was at the centre of London and he was going to take the last train and come at my house to stay for the weekend.  He called me at around 11 pm and told me that he was going to a party instead and he would stay at a friend's house in Waterloo.  He was going to come to my house on Sunday.  On Sunday morning, he called me and told me that there were no trains coming to my station, because on Saturday night there was a murder near my station.


I was horrified.  My first thought was that it's not safe anywhere anymore and my second thought was how lucky that my nephew didn't come last night or, and I cringe to the thought, it might have been him...
While I explained an alternative route to my nephew, I went closer to the station to see what's going on.
There were at least two police cars blocking the road, the bus stop was not working and the whole block with the little shops was surrounded by police ribbons.  The feeling seeing this can only be described as chilling.

This is a photo I picked on the web
showing the cars on the crime scene

I went back home waiting for my nephew and googled the event. Here's what I learned:

Samuel Guidera

Samuel Guidera was a young teacher living just few blocks down from where I live and studying History and Politics at the University of Greenwich.  Last Saturday night he was watching football with friends and when he took the train back to our area, went to our local "corner" shop, bought maybe a couple of beers and was going to visit a friend who lived in a small road 200 metres away from the station.  On the way to his friend's house he was stabbed.  The police attribute the murder to a robbery.  


The whole thing freaked me out.
This didn't happen somewhere far away from where I live.  This happened exactly where I live. I go to that corner shop almost every day.  The murder spot is only a few metres from my station and from my house.  Most terribly, last night I finished work late and took the train at 21:25 and I was at my station at around 21:45.  If that had happened a week from yesterday I may have been a witness to the crime, or if I was the unlucky one, it could have been me.

Our local corner shop where I go almost every day.
Samuel can be seen shopping from the CCTV cameras.

Last night when I came out of the train there were many police officers handing out flyers about the murder and asking each and every one of us if we were on the same train last Saturday.  It was then I realised how early this murder happened, it wasn't at midnight or at 2 o'clock in the morning, it was at a time where a lot of people are coming back from work, or the pub and walk around the area.  I spoke to a policeman and said that I heard about the case but unfortunately I didn't see anything as I was at home.

My area in general is not considered one of the best in London.  I bought my flat here because the street I live in is full of beautiful houses, with middle class families as residents, and a church opposite my block of flats.  The station is five minutes walk and it has great connection with London.  Most importantly, my best friend lives a ten minute drive away. I knew it was kind of a dodgy area, but I've been living here for ten years and I was never disturbed except the usual teenagers hanging about the station and asking for a cigarette.  I was once slapped on the head in succession by four children on bikes, but I was never scared or worried. 

After last week I am quite scared and horrified.

I am also thinking Samuel's family and the poor lad himself, a young man who just started to have a good job and was probably full of ambitions, wanting to finish his studies and succeed in London, the city in so many people's dreams for a good life.  He was going to a friend's house to spend a few pleasant hours, unaware that his life would be cut short.

Flowers at the crime scene
where the young teacher lost his life.
R.I.P. Samuel

You can read the whole story in this article from BBC News and in a more recent article from a Local News website.

Please, if you know something help the police investigations by calling 
020 8345 3734 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111