Murdered Berbice teen laid to rest
Armogan: `we all need to take blame for what has happend'
Yesterday marked an emotional morning on the East Bank Berbice as relatives, friends and the community said their goodbyes to 13year-old Leonard Archibald who was murdered after leaving home to collect his sisters from a birthday party.
The suspects – including one who has been accused of a series of sexual offences – remain in police custody.
The funeral service was held at Archibald’s residence in Brothers Village. The main road opposite Archibald’s house was filled with cars as persons turned out in their numbers to remember and pay their finally respects to the Overwinning Primary School student.
Students and teachers from the Overwinning Primary School were also present in their numbers, along with Regional Education Officer, Region Six, Volika Jaikishun; Regional Chairman, Region Six, David Armogan and other officials along with members of the police force.
President David Granger in a statement yesterday said that he is “deeply saddened” to learn of the death of the 13-year-old. He extended condolences to the boy’s family and friends.
Armogan, during his brief address to the gathering, said that the murder “has sent shock waves around this village, sur- rounding areas and our country”, adding “our region should not be known for these types of things, it should be a peaceful region where peo- ple are free to walk around
as they like”.
He said that if some sort of action was taken before against the accused maybe he life of young Archibald ould have been saved. “Not only the police at fault but he neighbourhood and all other persons who should be esponsible persons in our ommunity, we all need to ake blame for what has happened”.
The police have been pressed to state what steps hey took when reports were made to them by other perons in relation to the suspect.
Armogan said that perons need to stand up against such acts and “take heir community back and make it a place they want to ive…We must not forget our responsibility, we need o mobilize and take back our community against ogue elements”. He said hat while looking at child abuse and domestic vioence, attention must also be paid to drug abuse and other ocial ills. “We got to know what is causing these and go o the root of the problem, hat is where we need to focus”, he opined.
Armogan on behalf of the egion offered his condoences to Archibald’s loved ones.
Jaikishun used the opporunity to plead with parents o “do whatever (you) can to protect your children”. She encouraged those gathered o speak out against abusers and attackers in their respective areas. She said, “Don’t try to cover up the story or take settlement, act and bring the perpetrators to justice”.
Archibald’s mother, Abigail Archibald sat quietly on a bench during the funeral service. His father, Walter Archibald also did the same and kept busy ensuring the funeral went as smoothly as possible.
The two suspects who were arrested for the gruesome crime have still not been placed before the court. Stabroek News was told that the men were expected to appear in the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court on Monday, however, while some advice was given, the legal adviser sought clarity on some other matters, hence a further investigation was needed.
Yesterday afternoon, a source close to the investigation told this newspaper that the case file has since
been sent back for advice to institute the necessary charges.
On September 17, Archibald disappeared after he left home to pick up two of his sisters from a birthday party in a nearby village. He was last spotted riding a bicycle on the Sisters Village Public Road. After a police report was filed, investigators placed two men from Sisters Village into custody: the prime suspect, Hillary Edwards and his friend, Nicholas Christopher, whose house he (Edwards) would usually hang out at and which is located some four houses away from the Sisters Police Station.
On Friday last during a search, the missing teen’s bicycle was discovered in the Berbice River behind Christopher’s house. It was later on Friday afternoon that investigators elicited a confession from one of the accused. Police were told that Edwards allegedly kidnapped the teen and raped him, after which he dumped his body behind Christopher’s house into the Berbice River. After the alleged confession became public knowledge, relatives of the boy and residents of the East Bank Berbice area were determined to recover the child’s body.
It was during the last search on Saturday afternoon that Archibald’s decomposed body was found on a mudflat located at the back of Kortberaad Village, in the Berbice River. This is some three miles from Brothers Village, East Bank Berbice, where the teen lived.
Archibald was said to have been a willing young man, He was the sixth of ten children.