THE fire that gutted a section of the Double Day Hotel on the Tuschen Public Road, East Bank Essequibo, on April 24, 2025, was intentionally set, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Dwayne Scotland, confirmed.

Speaking via telephone on Sunday, Scotland disclosed that investigators concluded this after wrapping up their probe based on evidence gathered at the scene.
Reports indicated that a fire was observed coming from one of the rooms of the Double Day Hotel, on April 24, after thick smoke was first seen, following the discovery of 11-year-old Adriana Younge’s body in the swimming pool on the premises which houses also a large building.

The child had gone missing the day before while on a family outing at the hotel with her grandmother and other relatives, including children.
Younge’s body was found floating in the pool, a day after, even after a search of the area was conducted shortly after her disappearance.
The 11-year-old girl was reported missing by her family on Wednesday, April 23 at about 13:02 hrs.

The discovery however, sparked questions over the circumstances surrounding the child’s disappearance and later, her death.
Meanwhile, things heated up and by mid-morning on April 24, persons who staked out at the hotel, part of a large loud crowd, who were in support of the Younge’s parents and family escalated into a full swing protest action in which they stormed the hotel, demanding answers and justice.
The people, blocked the main road by filling it with debris and setting it alight and descended on the hotel and the other building on the grounds of the compound, looting it even during a fire.

Sometime, after, the same day, in quick succession, the hotel owner’s house, which is located in Vergenoegen Post Office Street, was also set on fire and looted.
After the flames were extinguished only the walls were left, the inside of the house was completely gutted.
Adriana, a pupil of the Parika Salem Primary School, had recently completed the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), and was eagerly awaiting her results, which are scheduled for release in June.

Three internationally respected forensic pathologists unanimously concluded that the child died by drowning. Samples from her body were sent for testing at both Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and the National Medical Services Laboratory in the United States of America (USA).
Her family maintains that while the autopsy confirmed drowning as the cause of death, it did not determine the manner of death—leaving open the possibility of murder by forced drowning.

The family suspect foul play. Adriana is yet to be buried.
Canadian homicide expert and retired officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Leonard Mc Coshen, was hired by the government of Guyana and is currently assisting with investigations.

Mc Coshen, a trained and qualified homicide and suspicious death investigator, is in possession of copies of all the documents, pictures and videos that the police has concerning the incident, and will be reviewing all of them before he conducts interviews or direct that certain individuals be interviewed.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum had disclosed that investigators are in possession of video footage captured around the time the child was reported missing on the day in question.
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.
Recently, photographs 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 had told reporters.

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.
The Crime Chief further revealed that the investigation is now at its “evidence culmination stage,” with detectives examining various theories, all of which will be tested against the available evidence.
“We have selected the best to work on this matter, and the investigators are very objective,” he noted.