Investigators in possession of footage from hotel’s poolside on day of Adriana Younge’s disappearance – Crime Chief

As investigations continue into the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum has revealed that investigators are in possession of footage from the poolside of the Double Day Hotel, Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) on the day of her disappearance – April 23.

“Investigators are in possession of video footage prior to/at the same time an alarm was raised that she was missing,” the Crime Chief told reporters on Monday.

However, he noted that the footage is not from the hotel’s security system; he said the Guyana Police Force’s forensic analysts have confirmed that the facility’s cameras were not working.

Meanwhile, Blanhum noted that investigators are continuing to interrogate individuals at the poolside on the day the girl went missing.

“The investigators are very objective,” the Crime Chief assured. “I’ve instructed them to ensure that they do not disregard any information or any evidence during this probe,” he added.

Moreover, retired member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Mr. Leonard Mc Coshen, will be arriving in the country today to assist the GPF with their investigation into the child’s death.

Mc Coshen is a trained and qualified homicide and suspicious death investigator, with over 30 years of experience as an investigator of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He had spent 20 of those years attached to the Serious Crimes Branch (SCB) in the Major Crimes Unit (MCU), with the mandate to investigate serious, complex and sensitive matters, mainly homicides and deaths where foul play was suspected.

Meanwhile, the Crime Chief has also confirmed that the owner of the now-gutted Double Day Hotel is complying with his conditions, which is to report to the police station daily. The hotel owner is also barred from leaving the jurisdiction.

An autopsy conducted on the body of Adriana Younge by three international pathologists revealed that she died as a result of drowning and that there were no signs of physical or sexual assault. Additionally, DNA samples obtained from the hotel owner and those of the child was escorted by a forensic investigator for advanced testing and analysis to be conducted at the Mount Sinai Health System, New York.

Younge was at the hotel’s poolside on April 23 with her grandmother and other relatives when she went missing. Relatives say they searched the pool and poolside area and the child was not found. The following day – less than 24hrs later – the child’s body was found floating in the pool.

However, the GPF has faced intense public scrutiny over its handling of the case. Among other things, the GPF had issued a statement, containing inaccurate information that the child was seen leaving the hotel in an identifiable motorcar.

The GPF subsequently admitted to the error and the person responsible for providing the false report was sent on leave. Moreover, the driver of the motorcar has since sued the State for $100 million.

Furthermore, two police officers have since been relieved of their duties while the commander of the region at the time, Khalid Mandal, has been sent on administrative pending the outcome of the investigation.