DNA test confirms decomposed body found in trench is Reonol Williams’
Dead: Reonol Williams
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum has revealed that overseas DNA testing corroborates that the decomposed body found in a trench in the vicinity of Coldingen Koker, East Coast Demerara (ECD) in June 2022 was that of Reonol Williams.
In May 2022, Williams, 50, a construction worker of Lot 5 Church Road, Enmore, ECD, could not be located after he was involved in an accident along the Enmore Public Road, ECD.
The badly-decomposed body was in June 2022 recovered by a team of investigators from Criminal Investigations Department headquarters, and later examined by a pathologist.
An autopsy was conducted and the cause of death was established to be that of multiple injuries as a result of a motor vehicular accident.
Charged: Daniel Melbourne
However, owing to the advanced state of decomposition of the body, DNA testing was necessary to confirm its identity.
As a consequence, on September 19, 2022, investigators took bone samples from the body.
Also, swab samples were taken from family members of Williams for DNA testing to be conducted.
These samples were tested overseas, and the results confirmed that the body was that of Williams.
It was reported that Williams was missing since May 23. He was struck down by a motor car along the ECD Public Road.
The driver of the vehicle had picked up the injured man under the pretext of taking him to a hospital, but he was not seen nor heard from since the accident.
Family members had checked all the hospitals along the East Coast of Demerara and in Georgetown, but the man was not found.
The owner of the vehicle, Daniel Melbourne, was questioned and released by Police but as public pressure mounted, ranks of the Major Crimes Unit picked up the case, and Melbourne was rearrested.
It was the car owner who led detectives to the scene where the decomposed body of the man was found.
Under further questioning, the owner of the vehicle admitted to dumping the man’s body.
Melbourne was remanded to prison after he was charged with several offences in relation to the death of Williams.
