The investigation into the Lindo Creek Massacre continued on Tuesday at the Public Service Ministry’s building, with more testimony from family members of two victims – Horace Drakes and Compton Speirs.
The Attorney for the Commission, Patrice Henry fielded questions from the witnesses who all said that they were still seeking justice for their family members.
Drakes’ Aunt, Natalie McDonald, told the Commission that she learnt about her nephew’s death while on her way to visit her aunt at the Georgetown Public Hospital back in June 2008.
Carmen Gittens
“I heard the newspaper man said ‘get the news, get the news, Lindo Creek Massacre, eight men die’.”
McDonald said she later visited Drakes’ mother, who immediately made contact with a family member in the interior, who confirmed that her son had indeed died. She added that none of her family members was contacted by the Police, or attended any autopsy or funeral service. The family, however, held a memorial service at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, in Stewartville, West Coast Demerara.
Speirs’s sister, 80-year-old Carmen Gittens said she became the guardian of her brothers and sisters when their mother died. She said the last time she saw her younger brother was a month prior to his death when he informed her that he was travelling into the interior to work.
Natalie McDonald
Also appearing before the Commission was retired Detective Carl Jacobs, who was responsible for preparing the coroner’s order of the death of the miners.
The CoI into the Lindo Creek Massacre is seeking to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the death of Cecil Arokium, Dax Arokium, Horace Drakes, Bonny Harry, Lancelot Lee, Compton Speirs, Nigel Torres and Clifton Berry Wong, on or about June 28, 2008 and to report the findings and recommendations to President David Granger.
