The body of a man, who was reported missing after masked gunmen took him from his North Sophia home almost three weeks ago, was pulled from a trench in the area yesterday morning.
Akeem Culley 25, a pork-knocker/mason of North Sophia, was identified by his girlfriend, Candacy Duncan, who discovered his body after residents told her that a corpse was floating in the trench.
Duncan told Stabroek News that Culley had been missing since December 30, when he was taken from their home.
She recounted that during the wee hours of that day, a neighbour came knocking at the door. However, when she opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of four masked men, who were armed with guns.
She said the men barged into her home and collected Culley, who was standing in the house. “When they come they said, ‘This is the man! This is the man!’ And [they] collect he and took him outside,” Duncan related.
The woman said not long after, she heard two gunshots followed by screams coming from outside but when she went out she did not see any of the gunmen or her boyfriend. It was then that she alerted the police about what had transpired and an investigation was launched.
When asked about the whereabouts of her neighbour during the confrontation, Duncan said he escaped and hid. She pointed out that the gunmen used him as a guide to find her house. She noted that when she opened the door the men had a gun pointed to the neighbour’s head.
Meanwhile, Duncan said that prior to Culley going missing, he and two of her relatives were accused of stealing a motorcycle. She said on December 29, she called him home because persons were accusing him of stealing the bike and were looking to beat him. She, however, pointed out that Culley was determined to clear his name and he returned.
This newspaper was also told that Culley was wanted for questioning by the police.
Duncan said that police had kept in contact with her over the past weeks as they investigated the man’s disappearance but they did not have any success in finding the man.
However, she said she was told by residents living around the area where Culley’s body was found that there was a stench and that she should check. Duncan said she went and checked the area but never found anything. She explained further that yesterday morning she was told by residents there was “something floating” in the trench and she subsequently went and conducted another search that led to the discovery of the man’s body.
Duncan said she was able to identify the body as that of Culley since it was clad in the trousers he was wearing the last time she saw him. A post-mortem examination will have to be done to determine the cause of death.
At the time this newspaper spoke with Duncan, the man’s family had not yet identified the body.
Culley was a father of two children, who are ages two years, and three-months old.
