Bodies pile up

One of those who went to the Centre, was former head of the National Operations Centre (NOC) Garvin Heera who strongly condemned management for the state of affairs. It took several hours of waiting before off-duty Pathologist Dr Hughvon Des Vignes arrived after flying in from Tobago to perform autopsies.

Sources at the Centre said that 15 bodies were at the Centre and at one stage, it appeared as if the cold storage units either were not working or malfunctioned as the foul stench of decaying flesh was palpable in the air.

“One has to understand we are dealing with persons who have experienced the trauma of losing a loved one in violent circumstances.

And to come here this morning and have to face this...it is inexcusable,” Heera said.

He was at the Centre to witness the autopsy on his relative US citizen Cynthia Matthews who was one of four persons murdered in separate incidents over the weekend.

People began arriving at the Centre from as early as 6 am. By 12 noon, when a decision was made to contact and ask Dr Des Vignes if he could fill in for the absent pathologists.

At 2 pm, Dr Des Vignes arrived and began to conduct autopsies.

Autopsies which were not done yesterday, will be completed during the course of this week.

Heera said that the situation demanded a review of the operations of the Centre and he suggested that with rampant murders fast becoming the norm, in order to ease the burden at the St James centre, others should be constructed in South and Central Trinidad.

“The citizens are on edge,” said Heera. “Many are at breaking point and we have to be very cautious as to how we treat with issues and the emotions of our people. Most importantly, the State must afford respect to citizens in situations where grief and sorrow are involved and make the operation at the Forensic Science Centre as smooth as possible so as not to add to a person’s grief.”