West Coast Berbice murders
From left: Argentine Forensic Anthropologist, Dr. Luis Fondebrider; the Argentine Ambassador to Guyana, Felipe Alejandro Gardella; Permanent Secretary of the Home Affairs Ministry, Mae Toussaint Thomas; Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn; and Police Commissioner (ag) Nigel Hoppie during their meeting on December 15, 2020
From left: Argentine Forensic Anthropologist, Dr. Luis Fondebrider; the Argentine Ambassador to Guyana, Felipe Alejandro Gardella; Permanent Secretary of the Home Affairs Ministry, Mae Toussaint Thomas; Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn; and Police Commissioner (ag) Nigel Hoppie during their meeting on December 15, 2020

Forensic reports, autopsy videos available to Argentine expert

FORENSIC reports and videos of the autopsies conducted on the bodies of the Henry cousins and Haresh Singh, who were brutally killed last September have been made available to Argentine Forensic Anthropologist, Dr. Luis Fondebrider.
This was disclosed by the Home Affairs Ministry in response to a letter headlined, “I never received an offer to view videos of autopsies on murdered West Berbice boys” penned by Dr. Fondebrider that appeared in Stabroek News on Tuesday.
The letter by Dr. Fondebrider claimed that “… at no time did I receive such an offer…” and goes on to state that “During my visit to Guyana, a formal meeting with the minister constituted my only contact with officials since my efforts to meet the pathologist who performed the autopsy and the Crime Chief were not successful.”

According to the ministry, in a release, subject Minister Robeson Benn held a meeting on December 15, 2020, at his office with Dr. Fondebrider and the Ambassador of Argentina to Guyana, Felipe Alejandro Gardella.
Also present at the meeting were Co-President of the Guyana Human Rights Association, Mike McCormack; Commissioner of Police (ag), Nigel Hoppie; and Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum.
At this meeting, the ministry noted that Dr. Luis Fondebrider was advised that he would be provided with the videos of the autopsies conducted in relation to the Berbice incidents, and the forensic reports of those autopsies.

OFFER
The police, in a separate statement, said that in the same meeting, in the presence of all the attendees, the offer was made for the Guyana Police Force to share with Dr Fondebrider a copy of the videos of the post-mortem examinations conducted on the victims.
To date, the Administration of the Guyana Police Force is not in receipt of a formal response from Dr. Luis Fondebrider as it relates to that offer, the police statement said.
An offer was also made for Dr. Luis Fondebrider to have a meeting with Dr. Nehaul Singh, the Government Pathologist, who, at the time, was on his way to duty in Lethem, the ministry noted.
However, the meeting with Dr. Nehaul Singh and Dr. Luis Fondebrider did not materialise because it was understood that Dr. Fondebrider was leaving Guyana the very next day, December 16, 2020. The ministry noted that Dr. Fondebrider was also advised that should the need arise for assistance from his agency beyond the normal resorts which are employed, contact will be made with him.

IRRESPONSIBLE
Police Public Relations Office (PRO), Assistant Commissioner Royston Andries-Junor deems some of the claims made by the Argentine forensic expert as irresponsible.
“In a matter of this nature that has national importance, it is irresponsible to make such public claims that are contrary to the facts of the reality of what transpired. This is unfortunate and the intention behind same can easily be inferred. Rest assured that the Guyana Police Force remains committed to ensuring that justice is served in this matter,” the assistant commissioner noted.
The mutilated bodies of the Henry boys were found on September 6, 2020 in the Cotton Tree backdam in West Berbice. Their gruesome murders sparked a week of violent protests in that region.

On September 9, three days after the Henry boys were found, Singh was found in a bloodied state as well, in the Number Three Village backdam, hours after he left home on his motorcycle to transport water for his relatives who were working on their farm. He was found unconscious by his 12-year-old brother, while his motorcycle was found torched. He died while on the way to the New Amsterdam Hospital.
A post-mortem found that the Henry boys died from haemorrhage and shock, due to multiple incised wounds. They both sustained severed spines, along with multiple chops about the body.
The killers carved out a huge ‘X’ on Isaiah’s head, while they cut open Joel’s chest. It is suspected that the boys had died some 36 hours prior to being found.
The post-mortem on Singh indicated that he died from brain haemorrhage and blunt trauma to the head, compounded by compression injuries to the neck.

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