The dead man who was pulled out of a trench in Le Repentir cemetery on Friday was yesterday identified as Cleveland Jarvis, 48, of Lot 76 West La Penitence Housing Scheme.
According to relatives and friends, Jarvis was an alcoholic, who suffered from multiple illnesses and was released from hospital just over a month ago.
Police officials have since told Stabroek News that while no marks of violence were found on the body, they are awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination slated for tomorrow.
Jarvis’ sister Andrea said that in the days leading up to his death it appeared as though he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. She said he worked as a security guard at the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) on Brickdam for the last five years and would be held responsible whenever items were stolen. She said that recently gas bottles and other items were stolen from the facility and money was to be taken out of his salary. Jarvis, who would be the only guard on duty at night, had expressed frustration with this situation. The woman recalled that for several days, her brother left for work but never turned up at the work site. Last Wednesday afternoon he left as usual for the night shift and ended up sleeping at a sister before returning home the following morning.
According to Andrea, last Thursday he left the home without telling her and that was strange.
“He looked normal in terms of his body but he was very speedy, speedy,” she recalled. After he failed to return home last Friday, the woman said, she checked at relatives and friends but there was no sign of him. He did not turn up for work either. After hearing later that day that a body was found the woman said she visited Lyken’s Funeral Parlour yesterday morning and her worst fears were confirmed. A neighbour Norleen Richardson recalled seeing Jarvis around 4.30 pm last Thursday and he told her that he was on his way to work.
Andrea told Stabroek News that Jarvis would usually walk through the cemetery on his way to work. The woman said she found it strange that he wasn’t wearing a shirt when he was found and his belongs including his shoes and dentures were neatly placed nearby. The woman said she did not want to speculate as to what led to her brother’s death and preferred to wait on the post mortem.
She added that a tomb builder has since told her that “he been sitting in a pool of water in the burial ground”.
Last Thursday evening, an anonymous caller informed Stabroek News of the discovery of the body while passing through the cemetery but the person was reluctant to report it to the police fearing an arrest. Stabroek News had visited the cemetery shortly after but was told by the security guard who was closing the cemetery gates that he had been on duty since 3 pm and no body had been found there.
A report was subsequently made to the police but it was learnt that they did not enter the cemetery until the following morning. Meanwhile, the body of a man found in the canal between Irving Street and Vlissengen Road, close to Church Street remains unidentified. The man who appeared to be in his fifties was clad in clothing and a pair of Timberland boots when he was found ten days ago.
The body is at Lyken’s.
