23-year-old farmer confesses to killing 7-year-old Adriel Mohamed in Guyana

Guyana: The suspect in the murder of seven-year-old Adriel Aftab Mohamed and the attempted murder of 72-year-old Halima Itwari of Phase 3, Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, Guyana, has officially confessed to the crime following police interrogation.

The suspect was arrested on Saturday and has been since identified as a 23-year-old farmer who is currently in police custody. Investigators initially confronted him with CCTV footage that placed him at the crime scene at the time of the attack.

According to Deputy Commissioner and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum, when the suspect was confronted with the evidence, he was unable to explain his presence at the crime scene. He eventually admitted to the crime and provided detectives with details of the events which took place after he entered the home.

“Being unable to deny his presence at the crime scene, the suspect confessed to investigators the gruesome details of what he did when he entered the home and thereafter,” Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum noted.

The knife recovered from the crime scene on Friday, June 5, 2026, has been identified as the weapon used to stab the child and attack the elderly woman. Investigators further noted that before entering the victim's house, the suspect entered a nearby yard but did not enter the house after hearing movements inside.

While leaving the premises, the suspect reportedly left behind a pair of slippers and an MP3 player. The items were later recovered by investigators and identified by the suspect as his property.

Police have also retrieved clothing believed to have been worn by the suspect during the attack. The evidence has been submitted to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis.

During the investigation, the suspect's employer reported that he arrived at work with a wound on his hand that had not been there previously. The suspect later admitted that the injury occurred while carrying out the attack.

Further investigations are ongoing as Adriel's body has been transferred to Ezekiel Funeral Home, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted.

Officials have not disclosed the suspect's identity as investigations remain ongoing. As one victim survived the attack, the suspect will be placed on an identification parade as part of the continuing investigation.