Autopsy on Canadian man postponed to tomorrow

The highly anticipated post-mortem examination (PME) of Canadian Jean Le Blanc, who died suddenly after being shot during the Ricardo Rodrigues execution on October 15, was yesterday postponed to tomorrow following the intervention of Canadian authorities, sources said.

Le Blanc who was shot in the buttocks and who also sustained a broken hip during the incident was said to be recovering when he suddenly lapsed into a coma on last Thursday night and was declared dead around 11 am the following day.

When Stabroek News visited the Georgetown Hospital Morgue yesterday officials there said that the PME had been cancelled until tomorrow. While no reason was given, this newspaper was reliably informed that the cancellation was due in part to local Canadian authorities reportedly opting to play a part in the process.

Le Blanc, prior to his death, had expressed a desire to return to Canada for advanced medical care, but according to him this was being hampered by the fact that the police were holding onto his passport and his cash.

Asked about this, Crime Chief Seelall Persaud had said that they held the man’s passport because investigators wanted to ensure that they spoke to him before he left the country. He could not account for the man’s money.

Persaud along with hospital officials had expressed shock at the man’s sudden passing.
Le Blanc was one of three persons who were wounded when gunmen stormed the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club around 3 pm. Rodrigues, 40, called ‘Fatman,’ who had addresses at Bel Air Gardens, and Bel Air Village, Lamaha Gardens, who was a patron of the restaurant at the location died at the scene.

Gym instructor Aubrey Henry and Jamaica Michael Hopkinson were also wounded. Henry was discharged while the other man took his own discharge and reportedly returned to him homeland.