Missing 13-year old boy: “We find he body tangle up between some vines”

Last Updated on Saturday, 23 September 2017, 21:14 by Denis Chabrol

Residents of West Bank Berbice who turned out to witness the retrieval of the body of Leonard Archibald.

A large crowd of spectators gathered at the Friend’s Village dam to get a glimpse of the decomposed body of 13-year-old Leonard Archibald who was brutally sodomised and murdered by two known characters in the community.

As the undertakers approached, loud wails could be heard coming from family members who had hopes that Leonard was still alive.

Family members who were out with the search party, reportedly found the young man’s body trapped between some vines in the Korthberaat, Berbice River area.

Due to the state of decomposition, his body apparently shrunk.

A member of the search party, Vernon Cozier.

Vernon Cozier, one of the men who was in the search party, reported to Demerara Waves that the search commenced at around noon. He stated that a party of five ventured out in the boat and after searching for an hour, they located the body.

“We search for like an hour and we find he body tangle up between some vines. He foot and one of he hand is share bone. Crows eat it out. He still get on he pants that he left house with”.

Cozier stated that immediately after spotting the body, they contacted the police who ventured to the scene to retrieve the body.

The body was removed by Arokium Funeral Home and immediately taken to the burial ground.

Meanwhile, Residents were enraged when they got a glimpse of the teens body. Many offered their sympathies to the Archibald family while others cried for justice. One resident, Petula Wilson stressed that the community will not rest until justice is served.

“Look at how cruel they killed that child. He wasn’t suppose to die like that. And I want the police to know that this isn’t going down easy. We need justice for this child”.

The suspects are likely to be charged early next week with murder.

Berbice Divisional Commander, Lyndon Alves said one of the detainees confesses to raping the boy and dumping his body in the Berbice River last week Sunday while he and his sisters were returning home.