Missing boat captain floats up with severed neck, battery strapped around chest

Mar 08, 2025 News

Kaieteur News- A missing boat captain reportedly floated up in the Puruni River, Region Seven on Thursday afternoon with his neck severed and a battery strapped to his chest.

Missing boat captain floats up with severed neck, battery strapped around chest

Dead: William Cozier

The dead man, identified as 52-year-old William Cozier, reportedly went missing on Tuesday but his family only learnt that he was missing on Thursday.

A man who worked with Cozier from time to time reportedly told his (Cozier’s) nephew, “Bai your uncle missing for two days and two nights and that don’t normally be he”.

The nephew, after informing relatives that Cozier was missing, was advised to make a police report.

It did not take long before relatives made the gruesome discovery that he was brutally murdered.

Speaking with Kaieteur News on Friday, the dead man’s niece, Nalini (only name provided) said, “My brother have a dredge as well at Top side, Puruni River so he was going up to his worksite and he… a think was with three other passenger with the boat captain spot a foot up in the air at Rock Creek (An area along the Puruni River)”.

They pulled closer to investigate, and after realizing that it was a human body, they called the police.

At the time, Nalini’s brother did not know it was his uncle.

They waited for two hours until police arrived.

When investigators pulled the remains from the river, Cozier’s relatives were left in a state of shock and disbelief.

“My uncle was robbed and brutally murdered, these people chop off my uncle head leaving a skin at the front to hold on, these people tie up my uncle with a battery, sink he with his boat and engine”, Nalini told Kaieteur News.

Cozier’s relatives believed that he was robbed because his clothes and other possessions from his camp were missing. They noted too that he wore six ounces in gold jewellery at all times and carried a pouch containing millions he earned from boat trips.

Neither Cozier’s jewellery nor pouch were found.

Kaieteur News understands one person is being questioned by police.

As police investigates the gruesome crime, relatives are demanding justice for his brutal killing.

Relatives said that Cozier turned his life around months ago after going through a bad patch.

“He worked for his things,” they said noting that he started his own boat service.

Kaieteur News understands that he recently survived several traumatic situations that caused him to change his life.

Investigations are ongoing.

(Missing boat captain floats up with severed neck, battery strapped around chest)

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missing boat captain, Puruni River, Region Seven, Rock Creek, William Cozier

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