As the family of 12-year-old Amanda Smith of Aishalton, Deep South Rupununi comes to grips with her sudden demise, her 17-year-old uncle, who has admitted to being in her presence at the time of her death, remains in police custody.
Smith’s lifeless body was discovered by her brother in their yard on the night of April 22. A police report stated that a post-mortem examination revealed that Smith died from brain haemorrhage due to blunt trauma to the head and face compounded by compression injuries to the neck.
According to information received, Smith’s uncle, a secondary school dropout, also of Aishalton Deep South Rupununi, told the police that he went to the victim’s home on Saturday night to check on them while their parents were out.
He said he saw her brother exit the house and go to the outside toilet and he proceeded into the house. He further stated that Smith was rushing towards the door to go outside to urinate and he put his foot out and tripped her. She fell, hit her head on the concrete wall next to the door, and lost consciousness. He told the police that he panicked, picked her up and took her to the backyard. When he heard the brother calling for his sister, he escaped.
Yesterday, her grieving father Hezron Smith told this newspaper that the family was at a loss as to what transpired.
“It is very shocking for our family. We cannot believe something like this happen and her uncle was a part of it… we don’t really know what happened,” the father said in a telephone interview.
He explained that on the night of her demise, he and her mother were over at a friend’s visiting when his son alerted them of his discovery.
His daughter’s body was found at approximately 8.15 pm, the father said. He explained that on the night of her death, they all had dinner and she along with her siblings went to bed while they went to visit a friend in the village.
The father added that the area where his daughter was found was poorly lit, but when they arrived she was motionless and lying on her back. He said the police were summoned.
The father noted that it was only after learning that the uncle was present at the time of his daughter’s death, that efforts were made to arrest him. Police arrested the uncle on Tuesday. He is in custody at the Lethem Police Station.
“It is shocking to us to know he might have something to do with her death. He don’t live far from us, like a hundred metres. I never expected something like this to happen,” the father lamented.
Amanda Smith was laid to rest earlier this week.
