The Guyana Police Force has revealed that 16-year-old Isaiah and 19-year-old Joel Henry were murdered in one location and then their bodies transported to the Coconut Estate on which they were discovered close to two weeks ago.
Murdered: Isaiah Henry
The badly-mutilated bodies of Isiah and Joel were discovered almost one day after they went missing. They reportedly left on Friday their Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice homes to pick coconuts in the backdam.
Their disappearance prompted family members to launch several search parties to look for them. After hours of searching, the badly-chopped bodies were discovered among the bushes and were partially covered in mud.
Following the discovery and the gruesome manner in which the boys were murdered, Cotton Tree residents took to the streets. They blocked the roads and burned debris, all while calling for justice.
The police nevertheless, stated that investigators were confronted with some challenges, particularly as it relates to accessing the crime scene with the roads being blocked.
However, once the ranks on the ground ensured safe passage for the investigators and crime scene ranks, preliminary findings showed that the bodies of the Henry boys were discovered at a secondary crime scene.
“Meaning that the heinous murders were not committed where the bodies were found. Person(s) moved the bodies after the murder and placed them at the locations where they were subsequently discovered. Further, after the crime scene ranks classified the location where the bodies were discovered as a secondary crime scene, forensic evidence was discovered at the said area,” the police said in a statement.
Murdered: Joel Henry
Investigators said that forensic evidence was identified, collected, preserved and submitted to the Guyana Forensic Laboratory for DNA analysis to be conducted. DNA samples were also collected from the suspects who were in custody and sent for a comparative analysis to be conducted against the forensic evidence collected from the secondary crime scene.
The Police Force said that results are expected within three weeks.
“At this time, the investigators are actively in search of the primary crime scene which would greatly assist in the probe as it will have an abundance of evidence linking the perpetrators to the crime. The investigators are all actively following up every lead and information received from members of the public who have come forward to assist investigators,” the GPF related.
According to the police, all the suspects that were in custody, initially, have been released on bail but are to report to the Blairmont Police Station at scheduled times. Additionally, Police are actively pursuing two other suspects.
Investigators committed to ensuring that justice is served for the Henry cousins.
The post-mortem examination (PME), conducted on the badly mutilated bodies of Joel and Isaiah found that the teenagers died as a result of haemorrhage and shock owing to the extent of their wounds.
Following the autopsy, the family’s attorney, Nigel Hughes related that in the case of Joel, he had a total of 18 wounds. It is believed that the fatal wound severed the teenager’s spine between the 1st and 2nd vertebrae.
“The pathologist suspected that after he got those wounds (to his head) he fell to the ground and then got the wound that severed his spine…his wound was 14 inches by 3 inches wide by 6 inches deep,” Hughes had said.
In the case of Isaiah, he also sustained a severed spine but unlike his cousin, the teenager had no defensive wounds. The attorney explained that Isaiah, however, sustained a number of chop wounds to his head.
“Isaiah had no defensive wounds to his hand. He had several more chops to his head. His spine was severed between the 2nd and 3rd vertebrae and his was 14 inches by 4 inches wide by 6 inches in depth,” the attorney noted.
The family took photographs as well as video footage of the bodies and autopsy to share with foreign forensic experts for their opinions. It was also related that the teenagers may have been dead for about 36 hours before they were discovered on Sunday, September 6, 2020. The teens were laid to rest on Sunday. (G2)
