Decomposed body identified to be that of missing teen

Apr 07, 2021 News

– Autopsy reveals he had drowned; was last seen on camera walking towards Harbour Bridge

Dead, Joel Skeete.

Kaieteur News – The decomposed body discovered on Monday lying face-down on the Belle Vue foreshore located on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) has been identified to be that of missing teen, Joel Skeete, 19.
An autopsy conducted on his remains yesterday, revealed that he had drowned.
Skeete, a full-time student at the University of Guyana (UG), had disappeared sometime after 19:10hrs on March 31, after leaving a barbershop at the Harbour Bridge Mall located on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD). He had reportedly called his mother, Lorenza Griffith around that time and notified her that he had finished cutting his hair and was “leaving to come home”. Griffith waited that night for him to arrive but Skeete never made it home.
According to new information reaching Kaieteur News, shortly after the call to his mother, Skeete was seen walking towards the Demerara Harbour Bridge, captured on footage from a security camera at the bridge. He had reportedly walked out of the camera’s range and there were no more sightings of him since then.
The search for Skeete, came to a tragic end on Monday, following the discovery of his decomposing corpse at Belle Vue on the West Bank, a short distance upriver from the bridge. Police found the body at around 13:45hrs and Skeete’s uncle, Julian Skeete, positively identified the remains around 19:00hrs that day.
As Skeete’s family struggles to cope with his demise, the University Guyana (UG) stated yesterday that its Care Team is deployed and ready to give whatever support is needed. This support will not only be for his family but also his friends and teachers. UG stated too that the institution’s community mourns his loss and “hopes that the authorities will be able to provide answers so desperately sought by those who survive him”.
So far, there are no signs of foul play surrounding his death. Both his cellphone and a key were discovered inside his pants pocket. Nevertheless, investigations are continuing.