– Police working on suicide theory
DOZENS gathered at Le Repentir Cemetery yesterday afternoon as word spread that the body of an unidentified male was lying between a clump of bushes.
Up to late yesterday afternoon, the police had not been able to identity the man who is of African descent.The Guyana Chronicle was told that the police were alerted to the presence of the body by way of information from a member of the public. When the police arrived at the scene the man was clad in a green vest and black long pants while his hat lay next to the body.
There was also a bottle which contained a small amount of water, suggesting that the contents may have been consumed by the deceased.
The police are working on several theories with respect to the discovery. This newspaper was reliably informed that the man had not one dollar nor a wallet on his person at the time the police arrived at the scene.
His left side pocket was turned out which caused investigators to believe that he may have been robbed after he died, or he might have reached into his pocket to retrieve something before he died.
Investigators are of the view that after the man was discovered by the person who informed them about his presence, that person may have searched the man’s pocket and relieved him of any valuables or cash.
The other view of investigators is that the death might have been a suicide, considering that after sitting in the position in which he was discovered, the man reached into his pocket and consumed rat bait or some other poisonous object before drinking water with it.
The police are awaiting a post-mortem examination which is expected to be performed on the body this morning. Yesterday the police removed the man’s pants, footwear and hat and placed them into evidence bags and undertakers subsequently removed the body to Lyken Funeral Parlour.
Meanwhile, persons who converged at the scene blasted the police for not allowing residents who had gathered to view the corpse to determine if any of them could have identified him.
Just two months ago ranks in the Police ‘C’ Division were seconds away from placing a dead man into a hearse and labelling him as unidentified after he was found in a trench. This was despite the presence of several persons who had gathered at the scene.
However, when one resident suggested to the police that persons get a glimpse at the body to see if he was identifiable, it was discovered that several persons in the crowd recognised the man as a resident from three villages away.
Often the police arrive at locations where bodies have been found and would keep persons at bay during their investigation and even afterwards, and then they would place the bodies into a hearse without seeking the assistance of persons in crowd who may be able to identify the deceased.
By Leroy Smith