CANADIAN homicide expert, Leonard Mc Coshen, has officially begun working alongside local investigators in the ongoing probe into the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge.
Mc Coshen, a retired Staff Sergeant of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), arrived in Guyana on Monday night and will support the Guyana Police Force in navigating the complex case, which has drawn national scrutiny and widespread public concern.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC, confirmed this development during his Tuesday evening programme ‘Issues in the News’.

“The gentleman, Staff Sergeant of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Leonard Mc Coshen, a very experienced, qualified homicide and suspicious death investigator, has been retained by the Government of Guyana…He has joined the Police Force to be part of the ongoing investigations,” Nandlall stated.

The move follows through on a promise made by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who had earlier committed to bringing in an independent foreign expert to assist with the case.
While there were calls from some quarters for assistance from agencies such as the FBI and Scotland Yard, the government opted for Mc Coshen, an appointment Nandlall highlighted was in motion long before those demands.
“This is a promise made and delivered,” the Attorney General said. “The government acted proactively, not reactively, in securing this support.”

Adriana was found dead on April 24, 2025, in the swimming pool of the Double Day Hotel at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), the day after she was reported missing. She disappeared shortly after arriving at the hotel with relatives.
Adriana, a promising pupil of the Parika Salem Primary School, had written the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) days before her tragic death and was eagerly awaiting her results. It was always her dream to attend the prestigious Queen’s College.
Following the discovery of her lifeless body in the hotel’s pool, the building was set on fire and enraged ‘protesters’ looted the establishment.
Additionally, the home of the hotel’s proprietor was torched by unknown persons.

Authorities have said the case is now at the “evidence culmination stage” and that several key individuals are expected to be questioned in the coming days.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum had told the media that while the surveillance camera directly overlooking the hotel’s pool area was not functional, other recordings and photographs are being closely analysed as the case reaches a critical stage.
Blanhum confirmed that a forensic review of the digital video recorder (DVR) system determined the pool camera was inactive on the day in question. However, he said the police do have other relevant footage that may prove vital to the investigation.

Last weekend a photograph began circulating online, reportedly taken at 1:29 PM on the day Adriana went missing, showing several persons in and around the pool area at the hotel.
Given the time stamp and claims attached to it, Blanhum was asked whether the image had been verified as part of the investigation and will it be addressed publicly as new evidence.
“What I can tell you is investigators are in possession of video footage either prior or at the same time an alarm was raised that Adriana was missing,” Blanhum told reporters at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
He also disclosed that the investigative team has been instructed to leave no stone unturned.

“I have instructed them to ensure that they do not disregard any information or any evidence during this probe,” he said.
Meanwhile, the owner of the hotel where the incident occurred remains under active monitoring.

“There were certain conditions imposed on him—he is required to report to the police daily and has been prohibited from leaving the jurisdiction,” Blanhum confirmed.
It has since been reported that three internationally respected forensic pathologists have concluded that she died by drowning.

Samples taken from the body were sent for testing at the Mount Sinai Hospital and the National Medical Services Laboratory in the United States and the authorities here are awaiting those results.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali has already announced that everything possible will be done to ensure that the circumstances are investigated and her family gets the closure.