POLICE are working diligently to establish a motive for the gruesome murder of 18-year-old Raynelle Benfield whose body was found on Monday morning in a cemetery along Beterverwagting Main Road, East Coast Demerara.

The five male suspects who were arrested hours after the teen’s body was discovered remain in police custody up to press time. Police reported that the body of Benfield, a telephonist attached to Qualfon Call Centre was found about 07:00hrs with her face smashed. The victim was last seen alive about 18:00hrs on Saturday last by her colleagues.

The body is at the Lyken’s Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem. Detectives are of the opinion that she knew her attacker (s) and was probably held at gunpoint or knifepoint and taken forcefully into the cemetery where she was beaten to the point where her head was bashed in.

The body was found with her jeans pulled down almost to her knees. Her hands were resting on her stomach near one of the many tombs in the burial ground.
The face of the young woman was unrecognisable in which it appeared to have been peeled off. Police said a handbag which relatives said belong to the teen was retrieved near the body but her cell phone is not among the items in the said handbag.

The body was found when a passer-by decided to check after experiencing a strong stench emanating from the cemetery. Police were later summoned and they cordoned off the scene and the body was removed.