Latest update September 28th, 2026 10:20 AM
Henry Boys’ Killers Convicted
…after nearly six years of waiting for justice
(Kaieteur News) – The courtroom was a scene of mixed emotions on Tuesday as a 12-member jury delivered the verdict many Guyanese had waited nearly six years to hear.
Anil Sanchara, 39, and Vinod Gopaul, 35, were found guilty of the brutal murders of cousins Isaiah Henry, 16, and Joel Henry, 19, whose horrific deaths in September 2020 shocked the nation and sparked widespread unrest across West Coast Berbice.
After two hours of deliberations at the Berbice High Court, the mixed jury returned guilty verdicts on two counts of murder against each man.
Vinod Gopaul and Anil Sanchara being escorted out of the Berbice High Court on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall wrapped up her summation of the evidence presented by the defence which was led by attorney Dexter Todd, and the prosecution led by State Counsel, Marisa Edwards.
The high-profile trial commenced on May 6, 2026, and spanned just over a month.
The trial saw riveting testimonies of approximately 20 witnesses called forward by the prosecutor.
Sanchara, called ‘Magga’, of D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, Gopaul, called ‘Dan Pole’ and ‘Rasta’ of Yakasari, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice were convicted on two counts each for murdering the two boys, which occurred between September 5 and 6, 2020 at Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice. They were found guilty on both counts.
Both men strongly upheld their innocence in the shocking murders that stunned the nation and resulted in violent street protests and rioting in West Coast Berbice. The killings also gave rise to a countrywide coordinated movement that demanded justice for the Henry boys.
The two men were arrested in January 2021 after self-confessed accomplice Akash Singh, 25, implicated them in the murders. In fact, it was Singh’s testimony on May 13 that gravely wounded the defence. Singh graphically outlined to the Court comprehensive details of how himself and the two now convicted men armed themselves with cutlasses and chopped the two boys in the backdam.
Guilty: Vinod Gopaul
He explained that they had planted a marijuana farm in the backdam at Cotton Tree in August 2020, and returned three weeks later to find it destroyed by gramoxone. Singh said that Gopaul was incensed and swore that “somebody got to pay for it.” Not long after, Isaiah and Joel would arrive, and reportedly laughed when Gopaul and Sanchara sought information on the destroyed marijuana farm. Gopaul dealt one of the boys a chop to his neck, and Sanchara would then join in the act, as the two continued chopping the cousins, Singh recounted.
Guilty: Anil Sanchara
Singh, the brother of Sanchara, also stated that he was forced to participate, and was threatened with a similar fate should he refuse. He was also tasked with carving the letter ‘x’ on the body of one of the boys, he mentioned.
The pair rejected every claim advanced by Singh, and accused him of colluding with the police to pin the murders on them. Sanchara told the court that he has never been to Cotton Tree, while Gopaul stated he had never crossed the Berbice Bridge, up until one day back in 2021 when they were taken to Georgetown by the police.
In his testimony, pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, pointed out the brutal manner in which the cousins were killed. The autopsies he himself performed indicated that the boys died due to haemorrhage and shock due to multiple incise wounds. They were chopped to the head, neck, and other parts of their bodies and also sustained severed spines.
The bodies of the two cousins Isaiah Henry, 16, and Joel Henry, 19 were discovered with ‘x’ marked on their foreheads.
As they were led away on Tuesday, the men vociferously declared themselves innocent. Relatives of the Henry boys sobbed in relief at the long-awaited verdict, while a relative of Sanchara sobbed in dismay.
Sentencing has been scheduled for later this month.
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