Exclusive: US Pathologist rejects drowning theory in Adrianna Younge case, calls for criminal probe

Guyana: Chief Medical Examiner for Gwinnett County, Georgia, Dr. Carol Terry, who conducted an autopsy yesterday on the body of Adrianna Younge says she is very reluctant to conclude that Adriana Younge died by drowning. Dr. Terry is calling for a thorough criminal investigation into Adrianna’s death who was found dead last month in the swimming pool of Double Day Hotel in Guyana. 

“I would be very reluctant to determine that Adriana Younge drowned. This calls for a thorough criminal investigation,” outlined Chief Medical examiner of the Gwinnett County office. 

According to the information, this was the second autopsy conducted on the 11-year-old Adrianna Younge in the United States. The first autopsy conducted in Guyana concluded that no foul play is involved and the child died due to drowning. 

However, following the 2nd autopsy, Dr Terry raised serious concerns regarding the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.  

She confirmed that she found no evidence of physical trauma during her examination however she could not conclude that Adrianna drowned, citing the highly suspicious circumstances reported to her. 

In an interview after the autopsy, Dr Terry highlighted that drowning is a ‘diagnosis of exclusion,’ as it required investigators to rule out all other potential causes of death before reaching that conclusion. She also questioned the initial finding of drowning by Guyanese authorities and highlighted troubling details, including the fact that Adrianna was initially reported missing from the pool, searched for, and only found there later, which, in her words, are very ‘disturbing’.  

When asked if she would come to the conclusion of drowning, she said, “At this point of time, I would not come to that conclusion. I think that there's a lot of information that needs to be gained, a lot of investigation that needs to be done. Drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion and by that it means that you have to exclude other potential causes of death and often times when a body is found in water, the assumption is that the person has drowned. There is nothing at autopsy that is diagnostic of drowning.” 

Saying this, Dr Terry stressed that these circumstances call for a full and thorough criminal investigation.  

The second autopsy further disclosed that while no fractures were found in key neck structures, parts of the neck were not fully dissected during the first autopsy, which left important areas insufficiently examined. Dr. Terry also expressed concern that much of the forensic value of the body had been compromised due to embalming, decomposition, and artifacts introduced during the first autopsy. 

Beyond the physical examination, she called for a comprehensive investigation which includes review of surveillance footage, witness interviews as well as advanced forensic testing for toxins or any evidence of sexual assault.  

She called her death highly suspicious and warned that the initial conclusions may have been premature.  

Notably, the child was found dead at the Double Day Hotel in Guyana on April 24, 2025, in the swimming pool, just a day after she went missing from the same pool.