IT'S MURDER

This means Daniel was murdered by someone who used force which caused him to stop breathing.

Gill’s finding comes even as police questioned a woman, who is known to the family, about the boy’s death.

The pathologist was flown in early yesterday morning to carry out the third autopsy at the mortuary of the San Fernando General Hospital and gave his findings to the police and Government before departing Trinidad on BW 424 to the United States (US) last evening.

Gill also gave a detailed statement of his findings apart from the autopsy report, which is now in the hands of investigators probing the boy’s death.

Government sources confirmed homicidal asphyxia was cited as the cause of death in young Daniel’s murder.

Asphyxia occurs when the body is deprived of oxygen causing a person to lose consciousness, stop breathing and die. It can be caused by drowning, suffocation, strangulation, smothering, or other related methods.

Two previous autopsies performed locally by different pathologists came to different conclusions about Daniel’s death: drowning and strangulation. The third autopsy began at 10 am yesterday and Gill asked to perform the procedure alone when he was taken to San Fernando General Hospital.

Gill’s expertise was sought after the conflicting results of the two previous autopsies on Daniel. The boy went missing from his home in Gasparillo on February 18 and was found dead in the Tarouba river two days later.

Gill, a clinical assistant professor of pathology at Yale University School of Medicine, arrived at the San Fernando mortuary at about 9.10 am in a Black Prado escorted by police officers.

Minutes before, Daniel’s body had been escorted by police in a van to the mortuary from Dass Funeral Home, Marabella. Gill went into the mortuary and was welcomed by South West Regional Health Authority chairman Lakram Bodoe. The hospital’s medical director Dr Anand Chatoorgoon also met with Gill.

Before Gill commenced the autopsy, Bodoe emerged from the mortuary and told reporters: “I met with Dr Gill and offered whatever assistance the hospital can give. He asked that he be allowed to work alone. He requested he do it alone.” Bodoe said Gill was pleased with the facilities in the mortuary and did not request the use of any special equipment.

Daniel’s uncle, Robert Indarsingh, identified the body before Gill performed the autopsy.

The autopsy was completed at 10.55 am, but police and hospital security guards instituted a decoy to prevent Gill from speaking to reporters when they drove the Black Prado close to the mortuary’s entrance. As press and television cameras crowded around amid police and guards, Gill was quietly escorted out the mortuary’s back entrance and into a white car. The Prado followed.

Sources said Gill was driven to the road in Gasparillo where Daniel had walked to a parlour to buy two bottles of Lucozade before he went missing. The area was pointed out to him.

Gill then visited the watercourse close to the San Fernando Technical Institute where Daniel’s body was discovered. It is reported that he took samples from along the watercourse.

Chatoorgoon later told Newsday Gill wanted to have a “free hand” in conducting the autopsy and not feel pressured. The hospital director said: “Professor Gill has not told us anything, not that we expected him to. He would have written up his findings already. I cannot say why he went to the various areas in Gasparillo and Tarouba, but it is interesting that he did so.”

Investigators told Newsday Gill’s autopsy result is similar to that of Dr Hubert Daisley, the UWI pathologist who performed the second private post-mortem at the request of Daniel’s family last Thursday.

Daisley’s report stated the boy died by asphyxia possibly due to strangulation and there was blunt force trauma to his chest.

Daisley said yesterday he knew, after his careful examination, that the boy was murdered.

“This is murder we are speaking about and this was my initial findings last Thursday, and I will be completing my other tests on Wednesday of this week to ascertain more information on how Daniel was murdered or get useful information and evidence which could assist the police in their probe,” said Daisley. He said even if Gill’s autopsy had proven otherwise, he was not going to change his mind that Daniel was murdered. The first autopsy of Daniel’s body carried out by Dr Eastlyn McDonald-Burris, a Trinidadian, and Dr Valery Alexandrov, a Russian, a week ago determined the boy died from drowning.

Daniel’s funeral had to be postponed last Saturday when the private autopsy conducted by Daisley concluded Daniel had been killed.

Daniel’s mother Rona Indarsingh, 26, said she was grateful another autopsy had been performed

“We hoping everything will end soon,” she said at the family home, Bedeau Street, Gasparillo.

Indarsingh said she cannot continue to postpone the funeral of her son.

“I glad the Government intervene, but this whole incident is too painful. Each day the police asking us different questions then they will come 10 o’clock in the night and say they stopping the funeral,” she said referring to the decision taken by police after Daisley’s autopsy last Thursday.

Police yesterday confirmed the latest in the investigations into Daniel’s death in which they questioned a woman, who is known to the boy’s family.

They also have a statement from a relative who reported seeing Daniel in a silver car belonging to a man, also known to the family. It was not clear if the relative saw who was driving the car.

Police had previously questioned a policeman and temporarily impounded his silver car. They also recovered a second car found abandoned in Arouca in which Lucozade bottles were found and sent for testing. Investigators said they are now closing in on a prime suspect who may be able to assist them in solving Daniel’s death.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Attorney General Anand Ramlogan told Newsday they decided to accede to the request of Daniel’s relatives to have the third autopsy done.

This resulted in officials of the American Embassy being consulted and Gill, who has a wide range of experience in forensic expertise in dealing with bodies found in watercourses, was named as the person best suited to carry out the third autopsy.

During a visit to Daniel’s home after his body was discovered, the Prime Minister said she would leave no stone unturned to determine what happened to the boy, and was prepared to seek international help.

During a press conference after Parliament yesterday, the Prime Minister confirmed the third autopsy had been done and the report was being examined by police.