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Burnt body in car trunk… Guyana Forensic Lab to conduct DNA tests on remains
The Guyana Scientific Forensic Laboratory (GFSL) has been tasked with identifying the burnt human remains that were found in a car trunk at Letter ‘T’, Mahaicony, East
Coast Demerara, last Friday.
Missing: Collin Rodney
Kaieteur News understands that police officials have contacted senior laboratory staff to enquire whether the GFSL can conduct deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tests on the body, suspected to be that of missing eyewitness Collin Rodney.
GSL Director Delon France told Kaieteur News yesterday that “the samples will be brought to the lab for analysis.” He said the laboratory is fully equipped to conduct the DNA tests to verify the victim’s identity. But to do this, they will also need samples from Collin Rodney’s parents, or other close relatives. He disclosed that the lab should be able to provide the results within a week of conducting the tests.
It costs Guyana over $1M to send a single DNA sample overseas, and local investigators often have to wait months for an analysis to be completed.
Kaieteur News understands that this is the second time that the GFSL has been tasked to conduct DNA tests in a murder investigation. A human bone fragment was previously sent to the lab.
The GFSL received deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) equipment last May. It was supplied by Italian firm Q&T S.p.A at a cost of approximately $107M (US$513,000).
The equipment has the capacity to allow eight samples to be tested at a time.
Following a post mortem on Tuesday, several samples were taken for analysis from the leg and thigh bones, and teeth of the victim.
James Fraser called ‘Dab’
Osafo Grundell called ‘Safo’
Police said that the post mortem results on the badly burnt body were deemed inconclusive.
Collin Rodney’s mother has said that the registration numbers from her son’s vehicle were etched into the windscreen of the vehicle in which the corpse was found. However, Crime Chief Michael Kingston said that investigators will compare the vehicle’s chassis number with records at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) before making a definitive conclusion. He had indicated that police should have gotten that information yesterday.
Last Friday, a torched car, with a badly burnt body in the trunk, was found in a desolate area at Letter ‘T’, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara.
The burnt car that was found with a body in the trunk at Letter ‘T’ Mahaicony
The victim is suspected to be 36-year-old Collin Rodney, who, along with his silver-grey Toyota Allion, vanished on October 25. He was due to testify that very day in the murder of his cousin, Marlon Seon Rodney, called ‘George’, who was gunned down last April in Norton Street, Lodge.
Thirty-nine-year-old Osafo Grundell, called ‘Safo’ of Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown and James Fraser, 21, called ‘Dab’ from Garnett Street, Georgetown, are charged with Marlon Rodney’s murder.
In the wake of Collin Rodney’s disappearance, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan said that the police will seek to place other witnesses in Government’s Witness Protection Programme.
Two detectives testified in the matter last Monday.
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