Two persons are in custody and the police are hunting another as yet another brutal child-murder rocked the county of Berbice in two days.
The badly battered and bruised body of 12-year-old, Joshua Chunilall, of Letter Kenny, Corentyne, was discovered around 13:30 hrs yesterday in a fish pond near his parents’ farm at John’s Village, Port Mourant.
A police release said that his body bore marks of violence to the head, feet and hands.
Kaieteur News understands the lad’s tongue appeared to have been burnt and there were cut marks to various parts of his body.
When Kaieteur News visited the parents’ residence at Lot 195 Letter Kenny, Corentyne around 21: 00 hrs on Thursday evening, they were still at the Whim Police Station giving statements to investigators.
The slain boy’s grandfather, Bhagwan Samaroo, called “Bro Ramâ€, told Kaieteur News that his son, Mark Samaroo, a cane harvester, lives with his wife, Kowsilla Chunilall, and four children at their home.
The man stated that on Tuesday morning his son sent Joshua to the garden which is situated less than a mile away.
Around 14:00 hrs, the man returned home and headed to the garden but did not see his stepson. Searching and calling frantically for the boy, the step-father eventually found the child’s boots. Eventually, he saw footprints which he followed for awhile before abandoning the search after it became dark.
The missing boy’s parents then headed to the Whim Police Station, where police allegedly locked up the father. According to the elder Samaroo, his son was held in custody until Wednesday afternoon.
They continued their search on Wednesday but it was not until at around 13:30 hrs yesterday that the gruesome discovery was made.
Relatives and friends are of the opinion the boy was tortured and killed elsewhere before being dumped at the spot where he was found.
Police, acting on information, quickly arrested two known characters from the area. A third man is being sought.
Joshua is the second Corentyne boy to be found murdered in days. Seven-year-old Saheed Muknauth of No. 68 village, Corentyne was reported missing on Tuesday after leaving home with a villager since Monday. He was found dead on Wednesday behind a rice mill in Number 68 Village, Corentyne with marks of violence about the body.
