The family of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge, who died at the Double Day Hotel, has announced that she will be laid to rest on Sunday, 22 June.
This follows her parents’ return from a trip to Atlanta in the United States, where a second autopsy was conducted. The results confirmed that the initial autopsy had been competently performed.
Adrianna was initially scheduled to be laid to rest on 5 May, but the burial was postponed at the family’s request for a second autopsy.
She died under what many have described as “suspicious circumstances”, before her body was found in the swimming pool of the hotel located on the East Bank of Essequibo on 24 April.
The discovery prompted widespread public outcry and calls for justice.
At the time of her disappearance, Adrianna had been at the pool with her grandmother and other relatives. Hours after she went missing, the family pleaded with hotel staff to search the premises, but their request was denied as police secured the area.
Police later issued a statement claiming Adrianna was seen leaving in a Toyota Raum on the day she disappeared. This was subsequently retracted after Region Three Divisional Commander Khalid Mandlall confirmed the information was false. He has since been placed on administrative leave pending investigations. Two other police officers were also relieved of their duties.
A second autopsy, conducted by three overseas-based pathologists, listed drowning as the cause of death. However, the family and members of the public continue to raise questions due to the physical state of Adrianna’s body and the circumstances of its discovery.
The hotel’s owner, Bhojnauth Bhola, along with several staff members, was arrested in connection with the death but later released. A toxicology report found no abnormalities, and DNA samples from Adrianna and the hotel’s owner have been sent abroad for further testing.
The government has reiterated its commitment to full transparency in the investigation and continues to offer support to Adrianna’s family.
