The unidentified body of a man was yesterday pulled out of a trench in Le Repentir Cemetery.
The body, which bore no apparent marks of violence, was found at the junction of the Broad Street Canal and Number 4 Cross Road in the New Roman Catholic burial section of the cemetery.
The man, who was of African descent, appeared to be in his 50s and he was clad only in long black trousers.
A pair of long gray trousers, a blue shirt with the initials JB on the inside of the collar, a red Adidas t-shirt, a red cap bearing the Stabroek News logo and a pair of leather slippers were found on the bank of the trench near the body.
Partial dentures were also discovered among the items while another part was found on a lily pad in the canal.
The police also retrieved an uncorked rum bottle containing a clear liquid which was upright in the water next to the body. The man’s hands were clasped across his abdomen.
Some residents who had gathered from the surrounding communities said they would usually see him “walking and selling bush” which he picked from the trees in the cemetery.
It was believed that the man may have climbed a tree that overhung where he was found and fell to his death.
On Thursday evening, an anonymous caller informed Stabroek News of the discovery of the body while passing through the cemetery but the person was reluctant to report it to the police fearing an arrest.
Stabroek News visited the cemetery shortly after but was told by the security guard who was closing the cemetery gates that he had been on duty since 3 pm and that no body had been found there.
A report was subsequently made to the police but it was learnt that they did not enter the cemetery until yesterday morning.
Le Repentir Sexton Lalldeo Rampersaud said he heard about the find when he reported to work.
“I learnt about it when I come in this morning (yesterday morning) about 10 past eight.
I report it to my boss at city engineers and he report it to the constabulary and they report it to the national police,” he relayed.
The scene was processed by crime scene ranks before the body was recovered by employees of the Lyken Funeral Home, where it will await identification.
The find was the second such in the last nine days, coming after the discovery of another yet to be indentified male in the canal between Irving Street and Vlissengen Road.
That individual also appeared to be in his 50s and is also at the Lyken’s awaiting identification.
