Murder of Berbice boys: Gov’t allows sharing of autopsy reports with forensic expert

The government has agreed for the autopsy reports on the brutal murders of Berbice teens Joel Henry, Isaiah Henry and Haresh Singh to be shared with Director of the Argentine Team of Forensic Anthropology (EAAF) Dr Luis Fondebrider.

This was revealed by Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn on Monday. He told reporters that Dr Fondebrider can view the reports virtually or in person in the presence of government pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh.

“There was a discussion where he was advised that he can see the autopsy (reports), which was indeed attended by Mr Nigel Hughes, and he can have that opportunity either virtually or face to face with the government forensic pathologist,” Minister Benn stated.

When asked whether the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) or any other agency is providing assistance to local investigations, the Minister did not wish to comment.

“I will say nothing about that and I will await the outcome of the investigation,” Minister Benn said.

Meanwhile, Dr Fondebrider had given assurance that he has the expertise and experience to help local investigators solve the murders of the teens that sparked widespread protest action along the West Coast of Berbice.

He requested several documents from the Guyana Police Force on the investigation on his visit here earlier in the month. The documents requested include work from the crime scene such as pictures, maps and descriptions along with the lab which was used to test samples that were taken from the bodies and scene.

Dr Fondebrider visited the country at the invitation of the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and spent his time meeting with the families, visiting the crime scene and engaging local authorities who have worked on the case.

He has also assured that he stands ready to offer his assistance in reviewing the case with the Guyanese authorities.

The government had invited members of the Regional Investigative Management Systems (RIMS), who arrived in Guyana on September 28 and spent a week assisting local detectives in the case.

The team concluded that they were satisfied with the work of the police but recommended more investigations be conducted.

The mutilated bodies of Isaiah, 16, and Joel, 18, were found in the Cotton Tree backlands, West Coast Berbice on September 6. The killers carved out a huge ‘X’ on Isaiah’s head while they cut open Joel’s chest.

The cousins had left their Number 3 Village, West Coast Berbice home to go into the backdam to pick coconuts the day before their bodies were found.

On September 14, the police determined that the boys were murdered somewhere else and then dumped in the backlands of Cotton Tree. Wide-spread, violent protests ensued for almost a week and it was during those protests that 17-year-old Haresh Singh was killed.

Singh of Number 3 Village, West Coast Berbice, was found in a bloodied state on September 9 in the backdam hours after he left home on his motorcycle to transport water for his relatives who were working on their farm.

A post mortem examination found that he died from brain haemorrhage and blunt trauma to the head, compounded by compression injuries to the neck.

No one was charged for any of the gruesome murders. The Guyana Police Force has since offered an award of $3 million for information that could solve the murders.