Woman bemoans sloth into probe of boyfriend’s killing

Nov 02, 2023 News

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…four months on, biological samples still to undergo toxicology testing

Kaieteur News – A young woman is bemoaning the sloth into the investigation in connection with her boyfriend, noting that four months since his killing, biological samples are still to undergo toxicology tests. She also slammed the lack of resources at the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory, contending that if the facility cannot do basic testing then it should be closed.

In a letter to this newspaper earlier this week, Narissa Deokarran spoke out against the stalling of the investigation into the murder of her boyfriend, Nakema Deonauth whose lifeless body was found in his Regent Street apartment on 12thJune, 2023.  She detailed Deonauth 39, was relatively young, healthy and lived alone. She said as part of the investigation into his death, an autopsy was conducted.

The autopsy entailed an examination of Nakema’s body by the pathologist, Dr Singh and forensic toxicology testing of biological samples.”  Deokarran said while the pathologist did his examination since early June, the autopsy report cannot be completed without the toxicology results, and this has apparently led to the investigation reaching a standstill. Deokarran said she has been doing her own research making calls and keeping in tune with the investigation and the updates “and it “it seems as if the investigators are awaiting the completed autopsy report to move forward with their investigation and here lies the problem. These samples that were sent to the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL), the only one of its kind in Guyana, over four months ago haven’t been tested as yet. While we anxiously waited for months for this part of the puzzle to be solved and hopefully move us one step closer to closure nothing was being done and I only learnt why last month,” Deokarran lamented.

She noted that after becoming frustrated with the lack of progress, she reached out to the Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum after which she paid a visit to him at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters on September 13^th. “There I met the lead investigator and was given the opportunity to ask questions and clarify whatever doubts I had. Mr. Blanhum also contacted the GFSL and asked about the toxicology report. From what was conveyed, I gathered that the GFSL is incapable of conducting the toxicology tests. I was then assured by Mr. Blanhum that the samples would be sent to Brazil. However, six weeks later and GFSL arrangements are yet to be finalized with a lab there, so the samples remain in storage,” the woman related.

She believes that “the GFSL was supposed to conduct ‘routine’ forensic toxicology testing on the samples taken from Nakema’s body, the sort of testing that should be conducted as part of an autopsy when the cause of death or circumstances surrounding the death has not been clearly established and an investigation follows. “If the premier state forensic laboratory in the country cannot conduct basic toxicology testing, then why it is still opened and why are biological samples at ‘death scenes’ still being sent to it?”

Deokarran commended the professionalism and willingness to assist of the persons she would have come into contact with writing “everyone I have either met or spoken to on the phone who are in some way involved in this matter such as the crime chief, investigators and personnel from pathology and the GFSL has been very approachable, professional and helpful in accommodation my many questions and visits/calls. I have truly been pleasantly surprised by their courteous manner and I have no complaints regarding my interactions with them, but I need closure and it has been months with no progress in this matter.”  She believes that the toxicology tests were not conducted at the GFSL because of the lack of required equipment, materials and technology; and not due to the competency of its staff. “I may be wrong in my assumption however I’m not privy to the inner workings of the GFSL. Regardless of the cause, the fact remains that the GFSL receives samples/evidence from death scenes yet is unable to conduct routine forensic toxicology testing. This is an urgent matter that should be addressed and corrected by the ministry/entity responsible.”

Earlier this year on June 15^th, this publication reported that “An autopsy conducted on the body of young city businessman, Nakema Dimitri Deonauth, revealed that he was beaten to death. According to the autopsy results, Deonauth died from brain hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) due to blunt force trauma to the head. The fatal hit to the head was further compounded by compression injuries to the neck meaning that his killer might have choked or attempted to strangle him.

Police told Kaieteur News that the doctor who performed the autopsy opined that his “fatal injuries were caused by either cuffs or a hit with a hard object”. Deonauth was found dead in his Regent and Cummings Street, Georgetown apartment his father who had visited with the intent of taking him to breakfast. Reports are that Deonauth was unreachable and his father, Rajindra Deonauth solicited the spare keys to the apartment from the landlord. Upon entry to the apartment he found his son’s lifeless body in the apartment and he summoned the police. Upon seeing the young businessman’s dead body, the elder Deonauth behaved disorderly causing police to detain him. The 39-year-old was his father’s only son. Deonauth’s body reportedly bore multiple marks of violence.

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• Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory, killing, murdered, Nakema Deonauth, toxicology testing, woman

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