The decomposed body of a 14-year-old West Bank Demerara (WBD) boy, who was missing for a week, was yesterday discovered in a shallow grave and police say his alleged killer, a 42-year-old rice farmer, has admitted to hitting him on the head during a fight.
The dead youth has been identified as Christopher Basdeo of Lot 37 Thirteenth Street, Parfaite Harmonie, WBD.
Police yesterday said that the suspect has given a written statement and a caution statement describing what transpired.
Senior Superintendent Linden Lord, the Police Commander of Region Three, yesterday told Stabroek News that the suspect, a rice farmer from the community, informed investigators that he and Basdeo were drinking on October 17th when they got into an argument. The argument, police said, revolved around money and as a result, a fight broke out between the two.
The suspect reportedly told the police that during the fight, he picked up a piece of wood and lashed Basdeo in his head. As a result, the boy fell to the ground. The suspect related that he left the teen at the spot and went home. Later in the night, the police said, the suspect returned to the scene and picked up the body and buried it in a shallow grave.
Lord told Stabroek News that Basdeo was buried in sand that was being used for a house foundation. After being questioned for days, the suspect took the police to the scene of the crime and where he buried the teen’s body. Lord said that he and a party of police ranks went to the scene at Lust-En-Rust, WBD, and the suspect pointed out where he buried Basdeo’s body.
After digging for some time, the body was found in a 7 feet by 2 feet shallow grave. Lord said that upon examination, the skull of the teen appeared to be fractured.
Basdeo’s father, Chitranauth Basdeo, upon arriving on the scene, was able to positively identify his son.
The body was later taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home, where an autopsy will be done.
The elder Basdeo last night told Stabroek News that he received a call from police yesterday at around noon informing him of the discovery.
“The police called and say they get good news; that they found my son and tell me where to go and I go right away. When I reached they were digging up the sandfill,” he said.
The father said that his son went missing since last week Wednesday and he was last seen in the company of the suspect.
“We know this man. He is like a family friend and he is related to my son-in-law family. My son knows him very well because he lives in the house before my daughter house. My son would go and sleep by his sister every night so he passes the house where this man lives. So he is no stranger to us,” the grieving father said.
He explained further that after his son went missing, family and friends began asking about the teen and the suspect kept saying he didn’t know anything and acted strangely.
“His [Christopher’s] sister noticed [the suspect] walking around with a bottle which [we believe] had poison inside and she called me and we called the police and that is how they arrested him. After the police arrest him and keep him in lock up for a few days, he tell them what happen,” the father lamented.
The grieving father said that while the family is relieved that they have found Christopher’s body, they now have to come to grips with the grim reality of his death. The death has devastated the entire family and the community, the father said.
“I have so many questions to answer now from people but I didn’t know what happen. I wasn’t there but in life you have to accept all kinds of things,” he said.
