The postmortem examination (PME) conducted on the badly mutilated bodies of Joel and Isaiah Henry, found that the teenagers died as a result of haemorrhage and shock owing to the extent of their wounds.
The autopsy was performed this morning by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh at the Memorial Gardens, Le Repentir Cemetery, Georgetown. It was witnessed by the father of Isiah, Gladstone Henry, and the brother of Joel, Colwyn Henry, along with the family’s attorney Nigel Hughes.
Following the autopsy, Hughes related that in the case of 19-year-old Joel, he had a total of 18 wounds. It is believed that the fatal wound severed the teenager’s spine between the 1st and 2nd vertebrae.
“The pathologist suspected that after he got those wounds (to his head), he fell to the ground and then got the wound that severed his spine…his wound was 14 inches by 3 inches wide by 6 inches deep,” Hughes related.
In the case of 16-year-old Isaiah, he also sustained a severed spine but unlike his cousin, the teenager had no defensive wounds. The attorney explained that Isaiah, however, sustained a number of chop wounds to his head.
“Isaiah had no defensive wounds to his hand. He had several more chops to his head. His spine was severed between the 2nd and 3rdvertebrae and his was 14 inches by 4 inches wide by 6 inches in depth,” the Attorney noted.
The family took photographs as well as video footage of the bodies and autopsy to share with foreign forensic experts for their opinions.
The badly-mutilated bodies of Isiah and Joel were discovered almost one day after they went missing.
Following the discovery and the gruesome manner in which the boys were murdered, Cotton Tree residents took to the streets. They blocked the roads and burned debris all while calling for justice. The protests extended to other areas across the country, mainly in villages in West Berbice.
