Young man kills father in Haiti’s northeast amid deepening mental health crisis

OUANAMINTHE, Haiti—Around 7 p.m. on Sunday, as Fèt Gede celebrations were taking place around the country—a time dedicated to honoring ancestors and the spirit of the dead— screams shattered the calm of Cité Vilmard in Ouanaminthe. Steevenson Telor, 22, a father of two, had fatally stabbed his 72-year-old father, Léonard Telor, in the family courtyard. The elder Telor, a father of four, died from multiple stab wounds before neighbors could intervene. At least three other people were injured during the incident. 

Justice of the Peace Renaud Pierre, who arrived on the scene, said Steevenson—a father of two young children— appeared to be in a state of severe mental confusion. Witnesses reported that in the days before the killing, he spoke incoherently, wandered the streets naked and seemed disconnected from reality.

“Strange signs were noticed in front of his door,” Pierre told The Haitian Times.

The killing on Sunday, Nov. 2 reignited conversations in Haiti about the link between spirituality, trauma and untreated mental illness. Some residents believe Telor was possessed after breaking a Vodou promise, while others see it as a tragic case of mental collapse.

“He didn’t know what he was doing,” Steevenson’s wife, Kerlande Innocent said. Innocent is six months pregnant and said she was injured while trying to save their baby during the attack.

“It was while I was running to save the baby who was inside with him that I hurt my shoulder. He didn’t know what he was doing anymore.”

Despite her grief, Innocent continues to express compassion for her husband.

“I want him to get help. He’s not a bad person — he’s lost his mind. I want him to get better so we can live together again,” she said.

A tragedy rooted in belief and silence, collateral victims and community trauma

In Ouanaminthe, Vodou traditions remain deeply woven into daily life. Several family members told The Haitian Times the younger Telor had promised to make an offering to a Vodou spirit called Baron or Bawon, but failed to do so before All Saints’ Day, Saturday, Nov.1.

“He was supposed to buy a pig to prepare an offering, but he didn’t. That’s where it all started,” said his sister, Lovely Telor.

To some, the tragedy represents punishment for breaking a spiritual pact. Others, like resident Lukner Vincent, reject that view.

“This isn’t about the loa [Vodou spirit],” Vincent said. “It’s madness. He must have been ill.”

Three other people were injured during the attack, including Innocent and two neighbors, Cherrou Théodore and Sonny Zéphirin.

Théodore, who was stabbed three times, recalled the shock:

“I was at the movies when someone called my name. I barely stepped outside when he stabbed me.”

Residents subdued the young man before police arrived. He remains in custody at the Ouanaminthe police station, where his wife says he continues to talk to himself and display signs of agitation.

Neighbors described Steevenson as calm and hardworking, with no history of violence. “He never raised his voice to anyone,” Innocent said. “Everyone in the neighborhood respected him.”

Adding to the tragedy, neighbors revealed that his mother, Néhémy Pierre, who died three years ago, also suffered from severe mental illness. She was often seen wandering the streets unclothed and incoherent.

Opinions remain divided in Ouanaminthe. Some residents interpret Telor’s breakdown as spiritual possession, while others point to hereditary mental illness. Justice of the Peace Pierre urged restraint and reflection.

“We need to understand what happened beyond beliefs,” he said. “We also have to consider the young man’s mental health.”

Telor’s wife has requested a psychiatric evaluation before any trial proceeds.

A country in mental health crisis

The case illustrates Haiti’s critical shortage of mental health services. According to the World Health Organization, just a handful of psychiatrists serve the country’s population of more than 11 million. With care often inaccessible or unaffordable, families frequently turn to religious or spiritual explanations.

Dr. Emmanuel Stip, a psychiatry professor at the University of Montreal, noted during a 2014 symposium that Haiti had “only 12 psychiatrists for 10 million inhabitants.” Little has changed since.

For Innocent, the priority is her husband’s recovery.

“I know he did wrong, but it wasn’t like him,” she said. “I just want him to receive treatment and find peace.”

The post Young man kills father in Haiti’s northeast amid deepening mental health crisis appeared first on The Haitian Times.