Mabaruma youth who went missing was murdered – autopsy

Twenty-year-old Avinash Fernandes, also called “Avi”, whose body was found floating in the Arakaka River, North West District (NWD), Region One (Barima-Waini) days after he went missing was strangled to death.
This was confirmed by an autopsy that was conducted on his remains by Dr Nehaul Singh, who gave the cause of death as asphyxiation due to compression of the neck, consistent with manual strangulation. As such, the Police have launched an investigation.
It was reported that Fernandes of Mabaruma Compound, NWD was last seen alive on April 5, 2021 at his campsite located at 13 Miles Trail Line Backdam, Arakaka.
Days later, the partially-decomposed body of the young man was found during a search of the Arakaka River.
The body was taken to the Port Kaituma Public Hospital and examined, but at the time, there were no visible marks of violence on the body.
Only a week ago, the partially decomposed body of Joel Skeete, a University of Guyana (UG) student was found lying face down among the rocks along the western bank of the Demerara River in the vicinity of Belle Vue, West Bank Demerara (WBD).
Skeete, 19, had disappeared after leaving a barbershop at the Demerara Harbour Bridge Mall.
Over the past weeks, a number of persons have been reported missing. This had prompted the public to draw conclusions about suspected kidnappings.
However, Police, in a statement, said there has not been any recent report of kidnapping.
“The Guyana Police Force has taken notice of a Facebook post showing concern in relation to the number of recent missing person reports in the country, particularly teenagers…The Police Force is once more giving citizens the assurance that this is far from reality and that there has not been any report of any kidnapping received by the Police within recent times,” the statement issued by the Force stated.
The Police Force also said that a system is in place which is publicised periodically where persons can report such matters.