THE Guyana Police Force is responding to an article published in the Guyana Times On Tuesday December 29, 2009 under the caption “Mentally-ill aunt admits to murder”.

The article which dealt with the death of four-year-old Thaddius Samuels of South Better Hope, ECD, whose body was found in a septic tank on December 21, 2009, stated that “A mentally-ill aunt of the four-year-old child who drowned in a septic tank last week has admitted to throwing the child into the septic tank, relatives told this newspaper on Monday”.

The article went on to state that the child’s mother, Alison Best, told Guyana Times that her aunt Jacqueline Steel, who lives with them, has been mentally-ill for years and that “she said that how my son kill she child so she kill Thaddius”.

The Guyana Police Force wishes to state that so far there has been no evidence of foul play involved in the death of Thaddius Samuels.

Further, upon being aware of the article in the Guyana Times today, the police contacted the victim’s mother who has denied speaking to anyone from the media and said that she has not told anyone that her aunt admitted to having thrown the child into the septic tank.
IVELAW WHITTAKER
Public Relations and Press Officer