DNA testing confirms decomposed body found in Coldingen trench belongs as Reonol Williams

Mar 02, 2023 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Kaieteur News – Following Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) testing overseas, the decomposed body which was found in a trench in the vicinity of the Coldingen Koker, East Coast Demerara (ECD) in May last year, is that of Reonol Williams.

This was confirmed by Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum who related to this newspaper yesterday that on September 19, 2022, investigators took bone samples from the deceased and also from the family members for DNA testing to be conducted.

The driver, Daniel Melbourne

Dead, Reonol Williams

In May 2022, 40-year-old Williams, a construction worker of Lot 5 Church Road Enmore ECD, could not be located after he was involved in an accident on the Enmore Public Road.

While conducting investigations into the case, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters received information that Williams was struck down while exiting a taxi at Enmore and his body was dumped in a trench in the vicinity of the Coldingen Koker.

The badly decomposed body was recovered by a team of investigators from CID and later examined by a pathologist.  An autopsy was conducted and the cause of death was established to be that of multiple injuries as a result of a motor vehicle accident.

However, due to the advanced state of decomposition of the body, DNA testing was necessary to confirm the identity. These samples were tested, and the results confirmed that the decomposed body is that of Reonol Williams.

Kaieteur News had reported that it was the driver, Daniel Melbourne who had reportedly confessed to hitting down Williams with his car and then dumping his remains in a trench. Melbourne was charged and was released on $1.8 million bail on his second court appearance.

• Coldingen Koker, Crime Chief, East Coast Demerara (ECD), Reonol Williams, Wendell Blanhum