Nearly six years after the brutal killings of teenage cousins Joel and Isaiah Henry sent shockwaves across Guyana, the High Court trial into their deaths got underway on Wednesday in Berbice.
Vinod Gopaul, known as “Magga,” and Anil Sancharra, called “Dan Pole” or “Rasta,” are facing murder charges. The duo appeared via Zoom, and the case is being presided over by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall, with a 12-member jury—equally split between men and women—selected to hear the evidence.
Attorney-at-law Dr. Dexter Todd is appearing on behalf of the accused, while State Counsel Marisa Edwards is leading the prosecution.
During her opening address, Edwards told jurors that the State will seek to establish that the two men attacked the teenagers with cutlasses, inflicting fatal injuries before abandoning their bodies in the backlands at Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice.
The court heard that on September 5, 2020, the cousins left home to go fishing but failed to return, sparking concern among relatives and residents, who organised a search.
Their bodies were later discovered in the Number Three Village backlands, bearing multiple wounds. Post-mortem examinations confirmed that both teens died from haemorrhage and shock caused by several incised injuries.
According to the prosecution, a total of 45 witnesses are expected to testify. These include police officers, family members, residents from nearby communities, and a medical expert.
Witness testimony is expected to begin when proceedings resume on Thursday.
The murders ignited widespread anger across the country in 2020, leading to days of protests and road blockages along the West Coast of Berbice, as calls for justice intensified.
Initially, three individuals were charged in connection with the crime: Gopaul, Sancharra, and Akash Singh, known as “Monkey.” However, Singh later turned State witness during the preliminary stages of the case.
Although charges against the two accused were dismissed in 2021, they were subsequently reinstated, paving the way for the matter to be heard before a judge and jury.
