It is almost certain that the decomposed body found on Friday afternoon at Berbice is that of missing British teen Dominic Bernard, after his god brother and another man who were captured by police confessed to killing him.
This was confirmed by Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, who told Stabroek News that a total of five persons, including a woman, are now in custody in connection with the murder.
He said Aaron Hing, Bernard’s god brother, was captured on Friday evening at a city hotel, hours after a wanted bulletin was issued for him. Staymon George, who was also wanted by police in relation to the disappearance of the teen, was arrested yesterday morning at a house at Tucville, where he was just about to board a vehicle in a bid to escape.
The motive for the crime is said to be robbery since Bernard was carrying £2000, which the men wanted.
It would appear that they knew that he would have been carrying a large amount of cash as prior to his arrival they had already made certain arrangements which would have involved the use of cash.
Detectives of the Major Crime Investigations Unit have been lauded for their diligent efforts in ensuring that all the major players in the teen’s disappearance were captured.
The decomposed body, which was found in the backlands of Nurney Village on Friday, was suspected to be Bernard, 18, who had not been heard from since he travelled from London to Guyana on October 14, 2015. His father has said that the teen was supposed to have been visiting Hing.
Stabroek News was told that the woman in custody was aiding George in fleeing to neighbouring Suriname. She had already procured a car which was waiting take him to Springlands when police ranks swooped down on the Tucville house.
A man who helped the two alleged killers to dig a shallow grave that the teen was subsequently found in is also among those in custody. The grave was dug two days before the murder.
Stabroek News has been reliably informed that both Hing and George confessed yesterday during intensive questioning to luring Bernard to his death at Nurney, which is the village next their home village of Kildonan. The men told investigators a harrowing story, which detailed a well thought-out plan that was to end in murder.
Two days before Bernard’s arrival in Guyana, the men rented a white Raum car that they used to travel to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, where they picked up Bernard.
After going to a restaurant at Sheriff Street, in Georgetown, where they ate and drank, they then travelled to Kildonan. On arrival there, they told Bernard that they wanted to show him something in the backlands and the teen agreed to accompany them.
The area where they ventured was very dark and bushy and they had to use light from a cell phone to see where they were going.
This newspaper was told that upon arrival at a certain spot, the teen was told that what he was to be shown was in the ground and that they had to dig to get to it. He was asked if he could assist in the digging and he agreed.
There was a shovel nearby but as soon as he bent to start digging a piece of wood was used to hit him on the head.
A hammer was then used to bludgeon him to death before he was thrown into the shallow grave.
The men claim that they then left the area and drove to George’s home. The teen’s suitcase and other belongings were still in the vehicle. The following day, $150,000 was given to George by Hing.
A post-mortem examination that was performed on the decomposed remains concluded that that the deceased died from subdural haematoma as a result of multiple cranial fractures, compounded by fracture to the spine.
DNA tests have to be conducted to verify that the body is that of Bernard.
Although there has been no formal identification, Bernard’s family yesterday said they had learned of the confession by Hing and George and they were devastated. “Dominic… was full of hope, ambition, creativity, self-respect, faith and trust. In chasing his dreams, exploring his heritage and doing the things that brought joy to his heart, and so many others, he tragically encountered those who do not share these values,” the family said in a statement.
At a news conference called on Tuesday to appeal for help to locate the teen, his father, Andrew Bernard, had said that it was supposed to be the youth’s first trip to the country and he was supposed to stay with Hing. He, however, noted that it appeared that Hing “was unaware that Dominic was making this trip.”
“We know Dominic cleared customs. After that we have no information,” the father noted.
Bernard was scheduled to return to London on November 6.
According to the family’s statement, Bernard travelled to Guyana to pursue his dream of studying film-making.
It noted that he was already an accomplished photographer, director and editor, with several music videos under his belt and he was in the process of taking up an offer from an American school to work alongside and be mentored by established movie directors in the United States.
“Dominic was full of hope, ambition, creativity, self-respect, faith and trust. He was very much loved by all his family as well as a wide circle of friends. He was a talented film-maker and we are in no doubt that he had a bright and successful future ahead of him,” it said.
Bernard is survived by parents Andrew and Linda and his two sisters, who are ages 12 and 14.
