A team from the Regional Security System (RSS) has arrived in Guyana to assist the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in its investigations into the murders of cousins: 16-year-old Isaiah and 19-year-old Joel Henry as well as 17-year-old Haresh Singh.
The RSS team arrived today and has already met with the Commissioner of Police (ag) Nigel Hoppie and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum.
The is according to the Crime Chief.
INews understands that the team will be working closely with the Major Crimes Unit and will soon be visiting the crime scenes in West Coast Berbice (WCB).
Amidst the violent unrest which gripped the Berbice community following the deaths of the teens, President Dr Irfaan Ali had announced that the Government would be engaging the British Government and the RSS to lend support to the investigative capacity of the Guyana Police Force.
He had also said that he was exploring an International Commission of Inquiry to address all aspects of what occurred following the killings.
On September 6, the bodies of Isaiah and Joel Henry were found in the backlands of Cotton Tree, WCB – almost one day after they were reported missing. They had left their Number Three Village, WCB home to pick coconuts in the backlands, but did not return home. Their butchered bodies were found in clumps of bushes partially covered in mud, after relatives went in search of them.
The news of their deaths sparked protests across several villages along the West Coast Berbice corridor, where commuters were beaten and robbed. With blocked roads, some vehicles were also torched.
And then, on September 9, 17-year-old Singh was found murdered at the Number Three Village backlands. It is suspected that his death was in retaliation for the murders of Isaiah and Joel, since he is related to one of the persons initially held by the police.
Meanwhile, several persons who were arrested for the murder of the Henry teens were released on station bail while to date, no arrest has been made in relation to Singh’s murder.
Police had explained that the location where the bodies of the Henry boys were found was not the primary crime scene, that is, it was not the location where the young men were killed.
