A post-mortem examination has failed to establish a conclusive cause of death for six-year-old Orlando Jaikarran, as police continue searching for missing parts of his remains in West Coast Berbice.
Region Five Commander, Senior Superintendent Lonsdale Whithrite, confirmed the inconclusive findings on Wednesday. Investigators are still trying to locate the child’s head and portions of his left hand and right foot.
Orlando’s decomposed body was recovered from the Waterloo Main Canal on Tuesday, October 20, following searches involving police and civilians. He had been reported missing from Bath Settlement on October 15.
His 45-year-old father, identified as the main suspect, remains in custody along with another man reportedly described as a pujari. Police have not publicly outlined the second man’s suspected involvement.
The examination’s findings come as investigators assess items recovered during searches at Bath Settlement and the canal.
Police confirmed that six cutlasses and other items were seized from a residence in Bath Settlement on Tuesday. Further enquiries at Waterloo Main Canal also yielded items described by investigators as having evidential value.
The items have been retained as exhibits, but police have not announced any forensic link between the seized cutlasses and Orlando’s death.
An earlier police statement said preliminary investigations suggested that the child was taken to the canal and struck on the neck with a cutlass. That account remains an allegation under investigation.
The child’s grandmother, 65-year-old Dhankumarie Gowkarran, has separately claimed that police told her her son admitted killing Orlando after a spiritual leader allegedly questioned the child’s paternity. Her account has not been established in court, and investigators have not publicly confirmed a motive.
Beyond the investigation, Orlando is being remembered at Bath Primary School as a quiet pupil who attended classes regularly.
Teachers said his absence on the day before he was reported missing was unusual and had concerned his class teacher.
Only last month, the six-year-old competed in four events at the school’s annual athletics championship and won three. His victories included the boys’ under-eight 80-metre and 160-metre races.
Police investigations and the search for the missing remains are continuing.
