Life sentences for men convicted of Henry Boys’ murders

July 8 2026

Two men convicted of the brutal 2020 murders of teenage cousins Joel Henry and Isaiah Henry have been sentenced to life imprisonment, with the possibility of parole after serving 35 years.

Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall handed down the sentences in the Berbice High Court on Wednesday, a day after a 12-member jury unanimously found Anil Sancharra, called “Dan Pole” or “Rasta,” and Vinod Gopaul, known as “Magga,” guilty of the murders.

The cousins were killed between September 5 and 6, 2020, in the Cotton Tree backlands, West Coast Berbice. Their gruesome deaths shocked the nation and triggered widespread public outrage and calls for justice.

Sancharra and Gopaul were initially charged alongside Akash Singh. However, Singh did not stand trial after becoming a key prosecution witness for the State.

During the trial, prosecutors called approximately 45 witnesses, including Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh, investigators and relatives of the victims.

Singh testified that he, Sancharra and Gopaul were involved in the killings after Joel and Isaiah Henry allegedly stumbled upon a marijuana field in the backlands. The two accused denied any involvement in the murders throughout the trial and challenged Singh’s account.

Following their convictions, Justice Morris-Ramlall sentenced both men to life imprisonment but ruled that they will become eligible to apply for parole after serving 35 years behind bars.