The death of Rupertee teen Robert Francis, who died in the wee hours of Sunday morning, has been ruled a hit and run after a post-mortem examination found that he died of a crushed skull due to a vehicular accident, resulting in the arrest of the driver of a Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) vehicle that is believed to have been involved.
Police had initially suspected that Francis, 18, was the victim of a brawl, while residents of Aranaputa had noted that the GGMC vehicle was in the vicinity at the suspected time of his death.
Superintendent Keithon King, who is the Region Nine Police Commander, told Stabroek News last evening that the post-mortem examination, which was scheduled for Monday, was done yesterday afternoon. It revealed that Francis died due to a crushed skull. With this new information, the GGMC driver was placed under arrest. Up until his arrest, the driver was said to have been assisting the Lethem Police with their investigation. He has since denied any involvement in Francis’ death.