Crime Chief confirms Adriana Younge’s investigation remains active

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum has reaffirmed that the Adriana Younge investigation remains active, with ongoing police work and pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
His comments came during an appearance on the Safeguarding Our Nation conversation series, where he addressed growing public concern and renewed calls for accountability in the high-profile case.

“It was a tragic loss that shook the entire nation and we have learned from it. The sad reality, however, is that there were factual circumstances and those facts were hijacked by persons with sinister motives and lawless behaviours”.
“The case of Adriana Young is still listed as an active investigation. Detectives were advised to continue further investigations, and, on completion, the case file will be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution for her legal opinion,” Blanhum said, extending condolences to the Younge family.
The body of 11-year-old Adriana Younge was discovered on April 24 in the swimming pool of the now gutted Double Day International Hotel, just a day after she was reported missing.
Her death sparked national outrage, with many questioning the circumstances surrounding the incident including the Guyana Police Force’s actions following the filing of the missing person’s report.
She was laid to rest on June 22 after two autopsy reports confirmed that the cause of death was drowning, with no evidence of physical violence or sexual assault was found.
In fact, a comprehensive autopsy report concluded that Adriana drowned and subsequently sank to the bottom of the pool, nothing that this is common in warm freshwater environments.
Meanwhile, during the programme, Blanhum noted that it is unfortunate that the incident was “hijacked by persons with sinister motives and lawless behaviour.”
He noted that, in an unusual step to ensure transparency, the post-mortem report was formally delivered to the family’s lawyer on June 16, 2025, despite the investigation still being active.
This clarification directly addresses a claim made by the family’s lawyer, reported in the media on June 24, 2025, stating that the police had failed to share the autopsy results.
However, the Crime Chief disclosed that since the incident, Police Commander for the Region Three Division, Khalid Mandall, other law enforcement officers and a civilian employed at the CCTV command centre remain on administrative leave.
Mandall and the other officers were sent on leave after questions were raised about their response to the incident, while the civilian was sent on leave for allegedly providing misleading information about the child leaving the hotel in a red Toyota Raum bearing registration number PSS 4684, influencing a subsequent police press release on the incident.
After the child’s body was discovered at the hotel’s pool, the police later released a second statement indicating that the initial report was inaccurate.
Against this backdrop and to prevent similar events in the future, Blanhum disclosed that the Guyana Police Force has ramped up its presence in communities, which includes maintaining dialogues with young people, with a focus on listening, not just lecturing.
“Youth crime worries us all and we are actively engaged. We meet regularly with youth groups, schools and community groups nationwide. We do not just talk, but we listen to their concerns. The Guyana Police Force has over the years been supporting youth initiatives…And in the final analysis, we received positive feedback from members of the community and initiatives of this nature will continue in the future,” he explained.