Six-Year-Old Orlando Jaikarran Allegedly Chopped to Neck in Canal; Father and Another Arrested

According to the Guyana Times, preliminary investigations indicate that the child, Orlando Jaikarran, was allegedly taken to the Waterloo Main Canal in West Coast Berbice (WCB) and chopped to the neck using a cutlass. This disclosure followed the recovery of a partially decomposed body of the missing child from the canal near the sea dam on Tuesday.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is investigating the death of Orlando, who resided at Bath Settlement, WCB, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice). The child's father and an additional man have been taken into police custody to aid the investigation. Police stated in a Tuesday statement that an examination of the recovered body showed that the head was missing, along with parts of the left hand and right foot.

The remains were transported to the Bath Regional Hospital for examination before being taken to Bailey’s Funeral Home, where a post-mortem examination (PME) and formal identification are pending. Orlando's disappearance was reported to the police on October 15.

Divisional Commander Senior Superintendent Lonsdale Withrite identified the child's father as the primary suspect, based on information gathered by investigators and the review of additional surveillance footage. Withrite explained that a search of the canal near the sea dam was conducted after investigators received information on Monday evening. This search commenced around 20:45h on Monday and continued into the early hours of Tuesday, leading to the discovery after further investigative work, including examining CCTV footage and information from the child's father.

Investigators had obtained surveillance footage showing the father with the child in another part of Bath Settlement shortly after midnight. Subsequent footage showed the father driving on a motorcycle toward the canal with what appeared to be his six-year-old son, and later returning on the motorcycle without the child. This footage provided details regarding the father's movements around the time of Orlando's disappearance.

When questioned on Tuesday regarding whether the child was alive or deceased when taken to the canal, Withrite stated that investigators had not yet determined this, noting that the investigation was still in its early stages.

While police have disclosed that preliminary investigations suggest the child was allegedly chopped to the neck with a cutlass at the canal, the exact circumstances of the alleged attack and Orlando's death remain under investigation.

Orlando’s grandmother, 65-year-old Dhankumarie Gowkarran, also known as “Shanti,” had previously commented on the events surrounding her grandson's disappearance. Gowkarran reported that the family went to bed on the Tuesday night before the child went missing. However, the father stated that when he checked the following morning, his six-year-old son was absent. The matter was reported to the police, initiating a search for the child. During an earlier interview, Gowkarran mentioned that her son, who works in the sugar industry, was responsible for looking after his children. She explained that the children attended school and occasionally visited her before returning home.

Withrite acknowledged the support from residents, schools, and the public following the reports of Orlando's disappearance, noting that the case garnered widespread attention with appeals for information circulating across the community and on social media. He stated that the public and community members were supportive by assisting with searches since the matter was reported. The commander added that schools also contributed to circulating information about the missing child, which aided the investigation.

Withrite indicated that investigators plan to finalize their work before proceeding with legal actions against the suspect, stating that they must complete the investigation before looking toward initiating legal processes against the suspect.