UP to press time three suspects were in custody assisting the police with investigations into the murder of Basmattie Moonsammy, 15, of Woodley Park, West Coast Berbice. Initially, the first suspect, as the police reported, was apprehended a day after the body was found in a rice field aback of Number 11 Village, West Coast Berbice, by a passing rice farmer. Later, on Tuesday, two more persons were taken into custody for questioning.
A post mortem was performed on the body on Monday by Pathologist Dr. Vivekanand Bridgejmohan; but the cause of death was not determined.
The decomposed body of Basmattie Moonsammy was found in a rice field in the backlands of No. 11 Village, W.C.B, on Saturday, August 04, 2012.
Police reported that the decomposing body of Moonsammy was found in a shallow grave in a rice field by a resident on Saturday while he was on his way to tend to his crops at Number 11 Village, West Coast Berbice.
Moonsammy, also of Number 11 Village, reportedly left home for an unknown destination while her mother, a single parent, was away at work.
The teenager, who is survived by two siblings and her mother, lived in a small house in the backlands of the Number 11 Village.
Her semi-nude body was discovered lying facedown at about 10:00 hours on Saturday and the police was summoned. Her mother made a positive identification of the corpse after she was informed by villagers.
Residents shocked by the brutal demise of the girl have since pledged their support to the family in making funeral arrangements.
It is believed that the teen was either lured or forcibly taken to the rice field area aback of the village where she lived.  There she was reportedly gang-raped and murdered by a group of men from the village.