–leave both body, casket intact

AFTER a controversial burial and a family feud, relatives of 43-year-old Noel Champo got the shock of their lives when they received news that his tomb had been broken into and his casket left exposed to the elements in Le Repentir Cemetery.The dead man’s uncle told the Guyana Chronicle yesterday morning that the man died two weeks ago of natural causes, and was buried on Friday last. However, he acknowledged that there was much drama between the deceased’s second wife and his mother, who were not seeing eye to eye on several issues.

The deceased, who had been hospitalised for almost a month, was the father of five children, including a one-year-old baby girl from his second marriage after his divorce.
Speaking with reporters at the graveyard yesterday, Champo’s second wife, Ashly Bacchus, said that she was at home when she got the news that the tomb was broken into. She said that she was also informed that the head of the man was taken off its body and was not in the casket but that later proved to be just a rumour.
Asked to comment on this situation, the woman said she had no idea who may have been responsible, but pointed to misunderstandings she had with her mother-in-law, Champo’s mother.
She said that robbery cannot be the motive, as the man was only buried in a suit, his glasses, dentures and $200 which a relative placed in his pocket. The woman recalled visiting the tomb for two consecutive days after the burial.
Asked why she did that, she explained that she was told by persons that when folks are buried in caskets, there are characters who would revisit the grave site, break open the tombs and remove the body from the casket and make off with it.
She said that after two visits and she realised that everything was alright with her husband’s casket, she ceased going and felt comfortable that the concrete had set enough.
Bacchus said that she and the mother-in-law have been at loggerheads since the woman wanted the death certificate and other documents of the man after his death, but she had refused to hand these over. She said that at the funeral, she and the woman had a war of words over some activities which were to be done at the final resting place.
Ashly Bacchus related that since the man married her, her mother-in-law never showed any appreciation for her and made her life hard. However, Ashly Bacchus and the man’s first wife became very good friends.
She said that her mother-in-law believes that the man who had worked in mining left her a lot of material things and valuables. However, she said that the truth of the matter is that when he was placed in his final resting place, all he left her to contend with was an empty purse and a house which they recently bought but has not been paid for in full. She said that she spent all the money she had on the funeral, which amounted to more than $500,000.
The police visited the scene and instructed relatives to open the tomb to see if the man’s remains were there with all body parts intact. That was done and everything seemed to be normal.

Meanwhile, arrangements are being made to have the tomb remade and to place the man again in his final resting place, hopefully without any disturbance this time around.

(By Leroy Smith)