Canadian expert praises Guyana Police work in Adriana Younge case; finds no evidence of foul play – GPF 

Mr Leonard McCoshen, a retired and highly respected investigator from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), has commended the Guyana Police Force for what he described as “exceptional” and “exemplary” investigative work into the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge.

Mr McCoshen, who was invited to Guyana to conduct an independent review of the high-profile case, submitted a detailed report in which he lauded the depth and quality of the police investigation.

In his assessment, according to a statement from Police Headquarters Thursday night, Mr McCoshen revealed that he was provided with over 400 pages of documentation along with an extensive collection of digital forensic evidence in various formats. After reviewing all materials, he concluded that “members who investigated this incident took the utmost time and considerable effort to speak to any and all persons that had any information to provide, relative to the incident.”

He added that the documentation of the movement of Adriana’s body after she was transported to the Leonora Cottage Hospital was “exceptional” and unlike anything he had previously encountered.

“The statements that were taken are reasonably well detailed,” he wrote, and noted that investigators proactively followed up with witnesses as new information emerged, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the investigative file.

“Overall, it is my opinion that the members of the Guyana Police Force that conducted this investigation, after the initial response, did an exemplary job and should be commended for their effort and diligence under very trying circumstances,” Mr McCoshen stated. “They spoke to all of the witnesses who would cooperate with them and gathered all of the relevant information that was possible. They also made extensive efforts to speak with those witnesses who were not forthcoming.”

However, he pointed to what he considered a missed opportunity early in the case: “If a thorough search had been done of the pool by properly trained and properly equipped people at the onset, this investigation would have very likely not garnered the international attention and political pressure that it finds itself in today.”

No Evidence of Foul Play

Mr McCoshen’s report included a summary of findings in which he stated that there was no evidence of foul play by any named or unnamed individual in the information reviewed, according to the release from the Guyana Police Force.

Police Headquarters said the investigator’s conclusions were based on several key points:

• Video Evidence: Footage from Lot 7 Tuschen Public Road showed no sign of Adriana or any other individual leaving the Double Day Hotel under suspicious circumstances between her arrival and when she was reported missing.
• Witness Accounts: None of the individuals present at the Double Day Hotel saw or recorded anything to suggest Adriana was removed from the pool area or encountered foul play.
• Medical Examinations: Multiple doctors conducted extensive physical examinations, X-rays, and a CT scan of Adriana’s body. No evidence of trauma or injury suggesting foul play was found. McCoshen described the medical and pathological effort as unprecedented in his career:
  “In all of my service in the RCMP and since, I had not ever seen this level of medical or pathological effort done on any deceased persons. Having three highly qualified and experienced pathologists conduct an examination is something that I have never seen or heard of before.”
• Absence of Key Suspect: Video surveillance and multiple witness accounts confirmed that Bhojnarine Bhola, a person of interest named in public speculation, was not present at the Double Day Hotel during the time Adriana was alive and on the premises on 23 April 2025

In the release, Police noted that Mr McCoshen brings with him more than 30 years of investigative experience, 20 of which were spent with the Serious Crimes Branch of the RCMP’s Major Crimes Unit, focusing on homicides and other complex investigations involving suspected foul play.