Cleveland Jarvis, who was pulled from a trench in Le Repentir Cemetery last Friday, died by drowning, a post-mortem examination has revealed.
There was no evidence that Jarvis was hit or to suggest any form of foul play in his death, his mother, Winifred Anthony, told Stabroek News Thursday. Anthony said the family is satisfied with the results, particularly taking into account that Jarvis was very ill. Anthony noted that her son suffered from cirrhosis of the liver, water in the lungs, heart trouble and he was also a diabetic. She opined that he probably suffered a heart attack or even “fits” and fell into the trench.
The autopsy was performed on Wednesday and Jarvis was buried later that day.
Jarvis, 48, of Lot 76 West La Penitence Housing Scheme, was positively identified by his sister, Andrea, a day after his body was pulled from the water. A neighbour, Norleen Richardson, recalled seeing Jarvis around 4.30 pm last Thursday and he told her that he was on his way to work. Andrea explained that Jarvis would usually walk through the cemetery on his way to work. The woman said she found it strange that he wasn’t wearing a shirt when he was found and his belongs, including his shoes and dentures were neatly placed nearby.
Andrea also claimed that her brother, a security guard, had developed mental problems after he was held responsible for items stolen from the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) Brickdam office, where he worked for the last five years. She said that recently gas bottles and other items were stolen from the facility and money was to be taken out of his salary.
However, the YWCA took umbrage at the remarks, with its General Secretary Glennis Alonzo-Beaton disputing the sister’s account. According to Alonzo-Beaton, Jarvis was never held responsible for anything that went missing during his shifts. “He wasn’t paying back for anything. I had even told him to come off the premises anytime thieves were there and let the police deal with them,” she said.
