THE body of 9-year-old Shaquan Gittens of 2950 North Ruimveldt was on Saturday afternoon found floating in a canal several miles behind Cane View, North Ruimveldt.
He went missing on Wednesday afternoon shortly after he was seen flying a kite with young men from his community.
According to information reaching the Guyana Chronicle, when his relatives realised that he had not returned home, they launched a search and reported the matter to the police.
Yesterday, while the family was still out looking for him, they received a call that his body was found floating in a North Ruimveldt backlands Canal.
When this publication visited the scene in North Ruimveldt yesterday afternoon, it was observed that the child’s body was floating face down in the canal and his pants and brief were missing, while his jersey was rolled up to his chest.
Investigators are of the view that the child might have been sodomized and murdered by persons before they threw him into the canal.
Family members who showed up at the scene were inconsolable at the sight of the bloated body. The discovery of the body angered relatives and residents from the community.

By Leroy Smith