Akiel, who killed you?

IT MUST be the greatest mystery of all time. An 11-year-old boy buggered and mysteriously found dead in a swimming pool and no one knows what happened to Akiel Chambers. This is a good case for Angela Lansbury, who will certain find the culprit for Murder, She Wrote. The inquest into the death of the schoolboy ended last week after five months of testimony. Coroner Sherman Mc Nicolls has ordered that the file be sent to the Commissioner of Police for further investigations. History shows that files sent back to the Commissioner of Police remain there... no further outcome. One remembers clearly the death of Jamaat Al Muslimeen member Abdul Kareem while in police custody.

Kareem, a high-ranking Jamaat man, was arrested in St James for loitering in 1985. While he was being escorted by two policemen to the St James Police Station, a man just walked up to them, stabbed Kareem and ran away. No one was held for that. An inquest was conducted by the Coroner Anthony Gafoor who ruled that a felony had been committed and sent the file back to the Commissioner of Police for further investigations. That was the end of that matter. The only justice which Kareem’s widow got was an award of $600,000 from the State for his unexplained death. What about Akiel Chambers? It is not as easy as the Kareem death. In the Kareem case, two policemen witnessed the stabbing, but the killer was never identified. In Akiel’s case, no one was identified as the killer, but judging from the evidence adduced, there are theories as to who could have done it.

One thing is certain — Akiel was the victim of a sick man who brutalised him and then, maybe with others, covered up his death. Akiel went to the residence of Charles and Annelore James at Balata Terrace, Haleland Park, Maraval, on May 23, 1998 to attend a birthday party for Carrie James. There were other children from his school — Blackman’s Private School. When his aunt Valerie Pascall returned for him around 6 pm, he was no where to be found. A search was conducted in and around the house and in the swimming pool at the back yard. No Akiel. The police went to the scene later that night and also searched the premises, including the pool. No Akiel. The following morning, Carrie James said she and two friends took a swim in the swimming pool. No Akiel. The children were called out of the pool by Mrs James to have breakfast. Then they were told to go to the front of the house to play. Police returned to the residence around 9.30 am and PC Clive Alvarez looked into the “murky” pool and saw the outline of a human in a crouched position.

Akiel’s body appeared in the pool just so. Two post-mortems were conducted with a similar result — asphyxia due to drowning. Dr Hughvon Des Vignes handed over an anal swab to the scientific officer for testing. The scientific officer, Vitra Bahadoorsingh, found human spermatozoa on the anal swab. She concluded that the sperm could not have been there for no more than two days, otherwise it would have started to decompose. Judging from the evidence adduced, it was clear that Akiel was abused by someone at the party on May 23, 1998. The body was found the next day and the post-mortem conducted on May 25, 1998.

The question is — who did it? Dr Des Vignes said although water was found in Akiel’s lungs, he could have been smothered. Who did it? Could Akiel have been smothered while he was being buggered? Who did it? Who ever did it, had to hide Akiel’s body until the next morning. Where was Akiel’s body kept for a whole night? Was it hidden in the house, or in the bushes near to the James’ residence? Who threw it in the pool on the Sunday morning? It will be interesting to see what further police investigations will bring. There must be someone who knows something about this matter. Akiel, if you could only speak, tell us... who did it?