A post-mortem examination has found that 30-year-old Jordan Payne, who died after becoming unresponsive while in custody at the Cove and John Police Station, succumbed to peritonitis caused by a perforated stomach ulcer.
Payne, whose full name was given as Otis John Jordan Payne of South Haslington, East Coast Demerara (ECD), died on Tuesday, March 24, 2026.
According to an update from police, the autopsy was performed on Friday, March 27, by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh at the Georgetown Public Hospital mortuary.
The pathologist gave the cause of death as peritonitis, an infection of the abdomen, resulting from a perforated stomach ulcer.
Police said specimens were also taken from the body for toxicology testing. The body has since been handed over to Payne’s relatives.
In an earlier statement, police said Payne had been in custody in relation to a domestic violence matter when he complained of feeling unwell.
He was reportedly taken to the Enmore Regional Hospital for medical attention and seen by a doctor before being returned to the station.
Police said that while back in custody, he again complained of feeling ill and later became unresponsive. He was subsequently taken back to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The initial police report had stated that no marks of violence were seen on his body.
