HUNDREDS of Guyanese said farewell to cousins, Joel and Isaiah Henry, on Sunday, who found brutally murdered in Cotton Tree backdam, West Coast Berbice, on September 6. With heavy hearts, friends and family of the slain teens opened the funeral, farewell, and burial ceremony to the public as the deaths have since sparked a national outcry for justice and peace.

The bodies, placed in purple caskets, were first opened for viewing at the Sandy’s Funeral Home on Chapel Street, Georgetown. Several persons attended including the President of Guyana, Dr. Irfaan Ali and Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon, who were seen exchanging brief remarks.

President Ali laid floral wreaths on the coffins of the boys and stood there with his close relatives for a brief moment of silence in respect.

“What we can pray for ultimately is for justice for these two young men, for peace and unity and to let their lives be a legacy for the future of Guyana,” the President stated afterwards, adding:

“These events must never occur again… in the memory of these two young men, all of Guyana should recommit to love, peace unity and to serve in God. Today I ask the rest of Guyana to reflect in a peaceful manner, to reflect in prayer and to hold up the families in prayer.”

In his remarks, Harmon said that Guyana is heartbroken by the death of the Isaiah and Joel and it is high time that such acts are eradicated from the future of Guyana. “Guyana needs to be finally and fully released from the bondage of hatred and oppression which has fragmented and divided our people for too long… we must ensure that those, all of those, responsible for their deaths are brought to justice and met with the full force of the law. This is not about recrimination, it is about justice,” he said.

Several members of the opposition also poured into the funeral home laying wreaths as the closest family members of the boys, clad in t-shirts bearing their faces, watched on.

The procession then moved to the Parade Ground. This segment of the procession was hosted by the International Decade for People of African Decent Assembly-Guyana (IDPADA-G).

JUSTICE

One of those who delivered heartfelt tributes was cousin of Joel and Isaiah, former Education Minister, Dr. Nicolette Henry. Holding back tears, she said that she feels an unimaginable loss that she never wished upon herself or her family. She thanked Guyanese for their support and urged the police to find those responsible for the crime and bring them to justice.

She said: “In the past few days, my family and I have heard from so many of you and we really appreciate all the support in this difficult time. As a family, we’re still mourning and hurting and weeping as we look for solace and justice. Today is exactly one week since the family would have learned of the deaths of Joel and Isaiah… no one has been charged as yet for these gruesome crimes. We, the family, all we’re asking for is justice for our boys.”

Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine, also took the stage, calling for the police to provide answers to the glaring questions which remain.

“Words cannot express how much I feel for these boys. As a family, you should remember the good times you have shared with them and keep their memories alive,” he urged.

NOT GANG-RELATED

One of the lawyers on the legal team for slain youths, Attorney Nigel Hughes, who recently debunked the rumour that their murders were gang-related, also paid tribute at the Parade Ground.

He expressed that no one will ever know the excruciating pain the boys felt as they were murdered and nothing can erase the images of their bodies, when found, from the minds of their family. The attorney said that the incident has opened unhealed wounds of racism that the country must address, even as he expects that law officials will not let up until justice is served.

Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), Volda Lawrence, in her tribute said: “We want to ensure that the right persons are brought to justice. We want to ensure that the case is sound and solid against those murderers. We want to ensure that when they climb those magistrate courts stairs we will not hear that the case is dismissed or thrown out for lack of evidence.”

Representative of Red Thread Guyana, Joy Marcus, and Sister Clementine Marshall of the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA), also paid tribute to the boys, stating that if Guyana fails to address this matter of grave injustice, it fails its people.

Trade Unionist, Lincoln Lewis and IDPADA-G Chairman, Vincent Alexander, also spoke at the funeral. After the ceremony at the Parade Ground, the funeral procession made its final journey along the Rupert Craig Highway to Number Three Village on West Coast Berbice where the boys were laid to rest.