Body of Mahaica man found days after he failed to report for work

The body of a 33-year-old labourer of Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was pulled from a river on Monday afternoon, days after he was reported missing when he failed to show up for work.
Dead is Terry Elias, popularly known as “Zulu” of Chelsea Park, Mahaica (ECD). Speaking with Guyana Times on Tuesday, his aunt, Cynthy Hamilton, told this publication that Elias was last seen at around 12:30h on Saturday when he left her home.
At the time, there were no immediate concerns, but by Sunday, his unexplained absence raised alarm after he failed to report to his job at a supermarket where he was employed as a labourer.

“Well, he leave here like around 12.30 Saturday night… it was my birthday, so he came, bought me a juice, and he said he was going to drop back something for me, but he didn’t. On Sunday, we then observed that he was missing… I got a phone call from the person that he’s working with at the supermarket…and his boss said he didn’t report for work,” Hamilton explained.
The woman said it was unusual for Elias to be absent from work without notice, prompting relatives to begin making checks. Elias, who is not married and has no children, lives at his Chelsea Park residence with a roommate. According to Hamilton, although he had previously lived with her, he had been residing on his own for about 10 years.
A report was made to the police, and relatives continued efforts to locate him, but to no avail. However, Hamilton told Guyana Times that their search came to an end on Monday shortly after 13:00h when her nephew’s body was discovered in a river in the Mahaica area.

“He was found in the river by the Mahaica bridge. While they were searching, they saw his slippers by the bridge, and they decided to go and look, and then that’s where they found his body,” Hamilton related.
She said that a bicycle believed to belong to Elias had also been seen in the area earlier but was not found at the exact location where his body was recovered.
Hamilton said she could not confirm whether Elias had sustained any visible injuries or marks of violence, nor could she say definitively if foul play was suspected.
When asked about his lifestyle, she acknowledged that Elias consumed alcohol but did not indicate whether it was excessive. She also noted that he had not complained of feeling unwell prior to his disappearance and was not known to have any ongoing disputes or issues with others.
Hamilton further confirmed that the family has been in contact with the police and is awaiting updates as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding his death.
“Well, you know, we’re trying to cope. It is not easy losing a family member…” she told this publication.
A post-mortem examination is expected shortly.