No offer was made to me to view West Coast Berbice murders autopsy videos

Jan 12, 2021 Letters

Dear Editor,

A report carried in both the Stabroek News and Kaieteur News on January 6th states, that an offer had been made to me to view the video of the autopsy conducted on the youths murdered on West Coast Berbice and that “the authorities are awaiting a response on this from Dr. Fondebrider”. For the benefit of your readers, I wish to clarify that at no time did I receive such an offer.

During my visit to Guyana a formal meeting with the Minister constituted my only contact with officials since my efforts to meet the pathologist who
performed the autopsy and to the Crime Chief were not successful.

Since returning to Buenos Aires I wrote to the Minister of Home Affairs on
December 21st, Mr. Benn, communicating to him my appreciation of the
opportunity to meet with him and for the offer of an exchange of information. A list of the Reports that I would need to make a professional assessment of the murders was also made available by me.

I have not received any replies to these communications from any official. In these circumstances I am at a loss to understand when and how the offer to view the video was made. Finally, to be clear, this is the list of documents that I am requesting to
analyze the forensic work done related to the case:

Reports requested by Dr Luis Fondebrider to the Guyana Police

1. Crime scene report, which should include:

a. Date and time of arrival at the scene of the CSI team
b. Name and background of people composing the CSI team
c. Departure time from the scene
d. Description of the scene, size, if extended, explain why
e. Weather, temperature, vegetation
f. Map with GPS coordinates of the scene
g. Photo of scene before removing bodies
h. Description of methodology followed at the scene
i. Location, position and condition of conservation of the bodies
j. Description of clothes and personal belongings
k. Description of fluids, as blood, at the area and surroundings
l. Search for fingerprints at the scene
m. Sings of shoes, car tyres, etc. in the area
n. Body removed in body bag? Hands and head protected?
o. Type of transport used to carry the body to the mortuary
p. Description of all objects collected, how they were packaged?
q. Chain of custody of all the evidence (body + objects taken from the scene.
r. Map of crime scene + objects + body, with exact location
s. Pictures (general and detail) + Videos

2. Criminalistic lab results:

a. Objects, fluids and what type of analysis was done
b. Samples taken from the body (Toxicology, Chemistry, Histopathology, DNA)
c. Results
d. Time for the results?

3. Autopsy

a. Date and time of autopsy
b. Location of mortuary
c. People present, background
d. Starting
e. Finish
f. Time between crime scene and autopsy?
g. External analysis: results
h. Rx taken: results
i. Weight, Height
j. Health condition
k. Clothing analysis: dressed? relation between injures in body and clothes?
l. Fingerprints analysed? Samples taken? Results
m. Analysis for Alcohol and Drugs: sample and results
n. Internal analysis: results
o. Photos of the autopsy

Yours truly,
Dr Luis Fondebrider
Director (EAAF)