Adrianna Younge’s drowning: FBI’s involvement hinges on US resources, formal request – US Ambassador
United States (US) Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, has made it clear that any involvement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the ongoing probe into the death of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge would depend on both the availability of FBI resources and a formal, Government-to-Government request.
Speaking to journalists on Monday on the sidelines of the 39th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police, Ambassador Theriot explained that while the US can assist in such investigations, the process must be formally initiated by the Guyanese Government.
“I understand that it involves requesting FBI assistance for the investigation,” Theriot said. “So the way that that works is that it’s a Government-to-Government request, so the Government of Guyana would have to make that request to the FBI, and they would determine based on the capacity and resources if they can assist,” the ambassador said.
US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot
Theriot’s remarks come amid calls from Adrianna Younge’s family for international support in the investigation. Already Government has hired the services of retired member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Leonard McCoshen. McCoshen is a trained and qualified homicide and suspicious death investigator, with over 30 years of experience as an investigator of the RCMP. He had spent 20 of those years attached to the Serious Crimes Branch (SCB) in the Major Crimes Unit (MCU), with the mandate to investigate serious, complex and sensitive matters, mainly homicides and deaths where foul play was suspected.
Adrianna’s body was found on April 24 in the swimming pool of the Double Day Hotel on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD). An autopsy conducted by an international three-member pathology team on April 28 concluded that the child died from drowning. However, the family remains unsatisfied and is calling for a more thorough probe into the circumstances leading up to her death.
In response to the calls for FBI intervention, a protest was reportedly planned outside the US Embassy in Georgetown on Monday. Though police barricades were erected in anticipation of the demonstration, no protestors showed up.
Ambassador Theriot also addressed the issue of public protest, saying the US supports the right to peaceful demonstration. “The protest is part of free speech and as long as it’s a peaceful protest we are more than happy to hear the demands of the protesters,” she said. “Check with my security team and there isn’t anyone there yet but we will gladly listen to their requests.”
The Government has taken several measures to accommodate transparency in the ongoing investigation into the child’s death.
Suspicions were raised surrounding the girl’s death after marks were observed on her body after it had been retrieved from the pool. However, the findings of the expert pathologists during the forensic autopsy were that the marks were consistent with water damage, and that there was no sign of sexual assault or violence on the young girl’s body.
In addition to being witnessed by family members, their lawyer and family-doctor, the entire post mortem examination was also video-recorded for added transparency.