Latest update April 12th, 2026 12:50 AM
Missing cousins… Relatives “not satisfied” with police probe
As the saga continues surrounding the mysterious disappearance of two cousins from West Coast Berbice (WCB), relatives
Missing: Winston Patrick Johashen
are saying that they are not satisfied with the pace of the investigation. Their mothers, Merlyn Downer and Mursha Johashen, say that they “smell a cover-up”.
On May 28 last, Odel Downer, 20, of Number 8 Village, and his 20-year-old cousin, Winston Patrick Johashen of Number 9 Village, left home to go and work as pork-knockers at 14 Miles Issano, Essequibo, but never returned or called.
Their boss, the mothers opined, is not “coming clean.”
The women said that they plan to do whatever it takes to get their sons, even if it means travelling the length and breadth of Guyana or holding placards in front of various police stations.
Merlyn Downer told this newspaper that she is convinced that a lot is not right and that a massive cover-up is taking place. She explained that when her son and nephew left home to go work in the interior, they called the following day to inform family members that they had reached safely. Since then, relatives have failed to make contact with the duo.
“This is the second time he (Odel) went into the interior to work. The first time he went in, he called me every other day, so I know for sure something happen with him and his cousin,” a worried Downer said.
She explained that after her son failed to make contact with her, she tried calling him, but the calls went to voicemail. A few days later, the mother said a relative informed her that he had called Odel Downer’s phone and a female answered.
“He (the relative) said that the girl tell he that she don’t know anything about my son and she hang up on him,” Downer noted, adding that she immediately travelled to the city and made a report at the Eve Leary Headquarters two Fridays ago.
“Before I made the report, I called the man who my son does work with and he said that a morning he wake up and the two
Missing: Odel Downer
boys disappeared from the camp, but I know my son, he could never do that, because bus don’t work in there in the nights, and it’s not like you can walk there in the nights,” the woman stressed.
Both mothers said that they are not satisfied with the police investigation.
“Since then no police ain’t call we to tell we anything. We don’t even know if they contacted police in that area,” Downer said.
Anyone with information on the missing cousins can call 688-6310 or the nearest police station.
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