‘Henry boys’ murder trial begins

May 7 2026

Nearly six years after the gruesome killings of cousins Isaiah Henry and Joel Henry sent shockwaves across Guyana, two men have officially gone on trial for their murders in the Berbice High Court.

The matter came before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall on Wednesday, where Anil Sancharra, also known as “Dan Pole” or “Rasta,” of D’ Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, along with 30-year-old Vinod Gopaul called “Magga” of Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, appeared to answer to the charges.

Both men are facing two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of the teenage cousins, who were killed between September 5 and 6, 2020, in Berbice.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read in court.

State Prosecutor Marisa Edwards disclosed that the prosecution is expected to call 45 witnesses during the trial, among them 16 police officers and Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, as the State moves to present its case before the court.

A 12-member jury has also been empaneled to hear the evidence and ultimately determine whether the accused men are guilty or innocent.

Sancharra and Gopaul are being represented by attorneys from Dr. Dexter Todd’s Associates law firm as the high-profile case moves forward.

The trial is expected to continue on Thursday with several witnesses scheduled to take the stand, marking another major step in the long-awaited pursuit of justice for Isaiah and Joel Henry.

The post-mortem found that the two teenage cousins had died of haemorrhage and shock, due to multiple incised wounds. They both sustained a severed spine, along with multiple chops about the body. While Isaiah’s had a huge X carved on his forehead, Joel’s chest was cut open.

Their mangled bodies were discovered one day after they went to pick coconuts at the Cotton Tree Backdam in September 2020.

(SOURCE; K.NEWS)