The army yesterday an-nounced that a Board of Inquiry has been launched into the circumstances which led to the death of the soldier found floating in the Cuyuni River.
Private Julian Marks, who was found dead days after he went missing, died from asphyxiation due to drowning and also sustained blunt trauma to the left side of his head, an autopsy revealed yesterday. Lacerations to the right jaw were also found during the examination, conducted at the Georgetown Hospital Mortuary.
In a statement, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) said Private Clyde Bailey, who was last seen with Marks, will be handed over to the police force’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to assist with investigations. The GDF also said it would work closely with the CID “as circumstances dictate.”
Last week, the army said that during the roll call Marks and Bailey, both of the Jaguar Company, First Infantry Battalion, were absent and this sparked a search. Bailey was found around 9 am last Wednesday about two miles from Eteringbang.
Army sources had said that the soldier related that he and Marks had gone to a farm in the area and on their way back to the location they got disoriented when they reached a fork in the trail. The two then went in different directions. Bailey told his superiors that that was the last time he saw Marks.
Hours after Bailey was found a special team, comprising two officers and seven ranks from the First Infantry Battalion, and the Special Forces Squadron were flown into the area to investigate and complement the search effort.
At 10:17 hrs on Tuesday, Marks’ decomposing remains was found by army’s search team which included a policeman, in the Cuyuni River, approximately one mile before the Ekereku River mouth and 11 miles from Eteringbang. The body was later flown to the city and taken to the Lyken’s Funeral home.
Marks’ funeral is scheduled for tomorrow.