FIVE male suspects remain in custody up to press time while the police have applied for an extension, since the 48-hour holding period has expired.

Sleuths said they need to further detain the men for questioning since no one is ‘talking’ yet following the post-mortem on Wednesday which revealed that the 18-year-old died due to injuries to the face caused by a blunt object.

The body of the Qualfon Call Centre receptionist was found on Monday morning in a Muslim cemetery along the Beterverwagting Main Road, East Coast Demerara.

Police reported that the body of Raynelle Benfield, a telephone receptionist 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.

Detectives are of the opinion that she was the victim of a heinous crime in which 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 face was smashed in.
The face of the young woman was unrecognisable.

Sleuths said a handbag, which relatives said belonged to the teen, was retrieved near the body but her cell phone was 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.
After the individual made the discovery, the police were summoned and they cordoned off the scene, while the body was removed.