— but elsewhere, say police; two suspects being sought, DNA samples being processed

By Rabindra Rooplall
ISAIAH Henry and Joel Henry were murdered at one location and taken to another, said Press Officer, Assistant Commissioner, Royston Andries-Junor, as police are continuing their search for the primary site where the boys were killed.
Their mutilated bodies were found on a coconut plantation at Cotton Tree Village, West Coast Berbice, one day after they left their Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice home on September, 6, 2020.

“The Guyana Police Force wishes to update the general public that the probe into the murder of Joel and Isaiah Henry is ongoing and offers assurances that the investigators assigned to this probe are committed to discovering the truth about the circumstances surrounding this gruesome murder,” the assistant commissioner said.
Initially, he said the investigators were confronted with some challenges, particularly as it related to accessing the crime scene, with the roads being blocked.

Once the ranks on the ground ensured safe passage for the investigators and crime scene ranks, the press officer said preliminary findings showed that the bodies of the Henry boys were discovered at a secondary crime scene.
“The heinous murders were not committed where the bodies were found. Person moved the bodies after the murder and placed them at the locations where they were subsequently discovered,” the assistant commissioner said.

Further, Andries-Junor said, after the crime scene ranks classified the location where the bodies were discovered as a secondary crime scene, forensic evidence was discovered at the said area.
Adding that the forensic evidence was identified, Andries-Junor said it was collected, preserved and submitted to the Guyana

Forensic Laboratory for DNA analysis to be conducted.
“DNA samples were also collected from the suspects who were in custody and sent for a comparative analysis to be conducted against the forensic evidence collected from the secondary crime scene. Results are expected within three weeks,” he noted.
At this time, the assistant commissioner said the investigators are actively in search of the primary crime scene which would greatly assist in the probe as the primary crime scene will have an abundance of evidence linking the perpetrators to the crime.

TWO MORE SUSPECTS
“The investigators are all actively following up every lead and information received from members of the public who have come forward to assist investigators. Also, as of today, all the suspects arrested were placed on bail and are required to make scheduled visits at the Blairmont Police Station. Further, police are actively pursuing two additional suspects,” the press officer disclosed.
He assured the general public that the afore-mentioned challenges will not deter the Force’s continued efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Meanwhile, the Police Force can expect aid from the British Government and the Regional Security System (RSS) within the next nine days to help resolve the brutal murders of teenage cousins Isaiah and Joel Henry.
This was disclosed by President Irfaan Ali, who said his government has engaged the British Government and the RSS to lend support to the investigative capacity of the GPF.

“To support the work of the police, we have already activated a mechanism to have regional help from the RSS and the British Government. We are hopeful that in another eight or nine days that help can be here to support and complement what the police is doing,” President Ali said during a recent interview with the News Room.
“It is of critical importance that we solve these gruesome murders and bring those barbaric individuals to justice,” the Head of State said.

President Ali expressed confidence that the GPF, together with the expected support from the foreign team, will lead to “that justice we all so badly want”.

He then called on the nation to reflect on this period in prayer to overcome the tragedy.
“Let this occasion be one which strengthens us as a people, strengthen our resolve for unity and for peace,” the President said.
President Ali also said he remains deeply disturbed over the events of the past week and plans to launch an international Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the riots on the West Coast Berbice.

“The CoI is important because it was not only the murders but what took place after. So our immediate task is to get the investigation concluded then, as I said, we’re exploring an international CoI,” the Head of State said.