Henry cousins murder probe conducted under ‘incredibly difficult, high-pressure’ circumstances – Blanhum reflects

Crime Chief and Deputy Commissioner of Police Wendell Blanhum on Thursday said the investigation into the murders of cousins Joel and Isaiah Henry was conducted under “incredibly difficult, high-pressure” circumstances.

He made the disclosure as he reflected on the work that led to the recent convictions of two men for the brutal killings.

“That investigation was conducted under incredibly difficult, high-pressure circumstances, where a national public outcry for justice was palpable. Yet our investigators stayed focused on their core functions of evidence gathering and case building,” Blanhum said.

He was at the time speaking on the sidelines of a training workshop held at the Police Officers’ Mess, Eve Leary.

Blanhum praised investigators and prosecutors for remaining focused on building a strong case despite widespread public demands for justice.

He also credited the support provided by the DPP’s Chambers throughout the investigation and prosecution phases.

“This would not have been possible without support provided by the DPP to the police during the investigation and prosecution phases,” Blanhum said, adding that the collaboration ultimately resulted in “presenting a case that left a 12-member jury convinced beyond a reasonable doubt.”

His remarks came days after a jury at the Berbice High Court unanimously found Anil Sancharra, called ‘Dan Pole’ and ‘Rasta,’ and Vinod Gopaul, called ‘Magga,’ guilty of murdering the teenage cousins between September 5 and September 6, 2020, in the Cotton Tree backlands, West Coast Berbice.

The killings of Joel and Isaiah Henry sparked outrage across Guyana in 2020 and prompted widespread calls for justice.

A third accused, Akash Singh, called “Monkey,” was not placed on trial after being admitted as the prosecution’s main witness. During the proceedings, Singh testified that he, Sancharra and Gopaul killed the cousins after they allegedly discovered a marijuana farm in the backlands.

Throughout the trial, State Prosecutor Marisa Edwards called approximately 45 witnesses, including Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, 16 police officers and relatives of the slain teenagers.

Both Sancharra and Gopaul denied any involvement in the murders when they took the stand. Sancharra maintained that he was never at the crime scene and accused Singh of fabricating allegations against him, while Gopaul testified that he was in police custody on a separate firearm-related matter at the time of the killings.

After deliberating for more than two hours on Tuesday, the 12-member jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts against both men.

Justice Simone Morris subsequently ordered psychiatric and probation reports and set June 26, 2026, for sentencing.