-had kidnapped his child
The body of the man who was found around 1:30 am in a yard at Golden Grove, West Coast Berbice on Wednesday has been identified as a 35-year-old labourer, Howell Henry of Alness, Corentyne.
Henry’s relatives identified his remains at the Fort Wellington Hospital mortuary yesterday morning after learning that a body was found.
His wife, Anita Henry, 34, told Stabroek News in an interview yesterday that her husband left home since January 3 and had not returned.
The woman said her husband would usually consume a lot of alcohol and would “behave bad.” She said when he went away he kidnapped their youngest child and was hiding out in a “bushy area at the seaside.”
Anita said she made a report of the kidnapping to the Whim Police Station. She later learnt that the man had taken the child to a house at West Berbice for a night and subsequently returned with her to the seaside.
Desperate to find her child, the woman visited West Berbice and showed persons the girl’s photograph – as advised by the police – in case they had seen her.
On January 7 the man’s brother was passing by the seaside and after the terrified child saw him she managed to run to him and he took her home.
Henry also returned home for his clothing and he did not contact Anita and the children until last Friday. He told them that he was working with persons from West Berbice and that he was going into the savannah to work.
The man also promised to “send money” but according to a relative “he always said that but for two years did not give us any money.”
His daughter Nikita said that her father was “a strong, healthy man,” and she believes that he was murdered. According to Nikita “he was well-built and one person couldn’t manage he. I believe that more than one person kill my father.”
Nikita recalled that her father walked out on the family for a few months and returned home last August. She said her mother “gave him another chance but he continued to smoke and drink a lot.”
Despite his behaviour, Anita said she was hoping he would return one day because “ah don’t mind how he bad he is the children’s father…”
Lokindrianath Sukra, 57, in whose yard the body was found said an occupant of his house got up around 1:30 am and “put on the lights and when he look out he saw the man in the yard.”
He said the relative “woke me up and when I checked I saw that the man was not breathing.” He immediately contacted the police. It appeared that blood was oozing from his mouth.
At dawn a large crowd gathered at the scene as many persons tried to see if they could identify the man. He leaves to mourn his wife, Nikita, Leone, Leroy, Christopher and other relatives.