Seven now in custody for brutal murder of Berbice boys

A total of seven persons have now been arrested and are being questioned in relation to the gruesome murder of two teen cousins at Cotton Tree Backdam, West Coast Berbice on Sunday.

Those arrested include the 57-year-old owner of a coconut farm where Police found bloodstains. The owner’s son and a handyman are among the others who have been held. The Police said the suspects are “assisting” with the investigations.

Police Commissioner (ag) Nigel Hoppie appealed for calm as the Police continue to intensely to investigate the murders of Joel, 18 and Isaiah Henry, 16.

In a video statement released by the Department of Public Information, the Police Commissioner disclosed that investigators were still on the ground at the crime scene and in the adjoining villages “aggressively conducting work.”

On Monday, the Major Crimes team was deployed from CID Headquarters.

The Top Cop said a Post Mortem Examination is set for Wednesday, September 9.

The gruesome murder of the teen boys has sparked protests across the country among predominantly Afro-Guyanese citizens who have regarded the killing as a hate crime fueled by race.

Relatives believe the boys were killed and their bodies placed in the coconut farm at Cotton Tree, just a few villages away from where they lived.

Joel was listed by the Police as a labourer of Lot 26 No Three Village, West Coast Berbice.

Police had said his body was found with the upper half in a hole. The body was clad in a black long pants, green long sleeve jersey with white fine strip and barefooted. Joel’s bore a mark around his throat and bruises on the fingers of his right hand.

Isaiah was a student and from the same village; his body was seen lying on his back with his head pointing in an eastern direction and feet pointing west.

The body was clad in grey short pants, light green long sleeve jersey and barefooted. A wound was seen on his throat, two to his left side head, one on his forehead and one to the left side chin, Police stated.

The killers carved out a huge ‘X’ on Isaiah’s head while they cut open Joel’s chest.