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No arrest in Rupununi tourist guide’s death – Police
(Kaieteur News) – The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has confirmed that an investigation is ongoing into the death of Rupununi tourist guide, Leon Baird called ‘Rasta’, noting that no arrest has so far been made.
In an official report on Friday, the police said the partially charred human remains of Baird was found along the eastern bank of the Rupununi River in close proximity to Wichabai Ranch, South Rupununi on January 25, 2026.
Investigations revealed that a burnt vehicle was discovered on the bank of the river with what appeared to be partially charred remains of a human body inside. The police stated that the remains were removed and transported to the Lethem Regional Hospital, where doctors confirmed his death.
Dead, Leon ‘Rasta’ Baird
“A post-mortem examination conducted on Tuesday January 27, 2026, by government pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh gave the cause of death as burns and indicated that the victim was alive prior to the fire. The body was subsequently handed over to relatives for burial. DNA samples were also obtained as part of the ongoing investigation,” the police reported.
The police noted that during subsequent enquiries in the area, investigators also discovered the remains of two cattle nearby, suspected to have been shot. “Items of evidential value, including a knife and spent shotgun shells, were recovered and lodged as part of ongoing examinations,” the police said in its statement.
According to the police, investigations are continuing as they work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
Kaieteur News had reported that 38-year-old Baird was a well-known tourist guide and cowboy in the Rupununi region.
Close friends and colleagues of Baird had told this publication on Wednesday that Baird resided at the Wichabai Ranch and reportedly went missing on Friday (January 23). “We were searching for him from Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon the cow boys found him,” one of the colleagues related.
While they are still unclear as to what really transpired when he went missing and what led to his death, colleagues noted that Baird was the care-taker of the animals at the ranch. They disclosed that before his death, Baird was missing some of the animals from the ranch and so they suspected that on Friday morning he left in search of the animals.
They also related that for years ranches have been dealing with the issue of cattle rustling which was reported to the police on numerous of occasions. “This rustling thing has been going on down here in the Rupununi for so many years and so many reports have been made to the police from ranches not just our ranch, villages, individuals and from the South Rupununi District Council for years, about the same people who are going around and killing animals and selling the meat to Lethem,” one of the colleagues explained.
According to them, in the past Baird even received threats from persons suspected to be rustlers.
Following the news of his death, this publication reported also that the Rupununi Livestock Producers Association (RLPA) on Thursday called on law enforcement agencies and policymakers to partner more closely with livestock producers to strengthen security and tackle the long-standing problem of cattle rustling in the Rupununi.
SRDC said it strongly condemns the act of violence within its territory. “What has occurred is not an isolated incident; it is part of a long-standing and deeply troubling pattern linked to cattle rustling and lawlessness that has plagued Indigenous communities in the South Rupununi for far too long,” the Council expressed.
“The death of Leon Baird is alleged to be linked to cattle rustling activities in the surrounding Sand Creek area, an issue that has repeatedly been raised by community members, ranchers, and leaders, yet it continues to be met with inadequate action. This cannot continue. We are therefore urgently calling on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to act with speed, seriousness, and transparency in investigating this matter. We further call on the GPF to engage directly with people within the communities, to listen, to build trust, and to gather vital information that can lead to justice. The answers will not be found from a distance; they are within the communities themselves,” the statement continued.
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