October 2 2026

A post-mortem examination conducted on the remains of 25-year-old farmer Marinda Ernest has failed to determine how she died, following the exhumation of her body nearly five weeks after she was found dead in the Upper Mazaruni.

Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh conducted the examination on Thursday, October 1, after Ernest’s body was exhumed from a grave in her parents’ yard.

The cause of death was recorded as undetermined due to the advanced state of decomposition. Following the examination, her remains were handed over to relatives for burial.

Ernest, who was from the Upper Mazaruni River area, was found dead on August 29 beneath a shed and covered with a sheet, after she reportedly became separated from her reputed husband while returning from a farm exercise.

According to police, Ernest and her reputed husband had joined approximately 40 villagers for the farm exercise, which ended at around 16:00 hrs.

The man reportedly told investigators that while they were making their way home, he briefly went into some bushes. When he returned to the trail, he could not locate Ernest.

The matter was subsequently reported to police, and Ernest’s body was found the following day.

At the time, police reported that the body bore suspected puncture wounds to the left breast and back, as well as abrasions to the back and left leg.

Her reputed husband was detained as police investigated the circumstances surrounding her death.

However, in early September, the family initially refused to allow Ernest’s body to be exhumed for a post-mortem examination.

A pathologist had travelled to the area by chartered aircraft, but relatives declined to permit the exhumation. Villagers also reportedly refused to assist in removing the body from the grave.

The family had expressed concerns about the condition of the remains, which had already begun decomposing, and the emotional distress that exhumation would cause, particularly for Ernest’s children.

A sister of the deceased had nevertheless said the family wanted answers about how Ernest died, while maintaining that she was unaware of any problems between her sister and her reputed husband.

With the post-mortem initially unable to proceed, Ernest’s reputed husband was reportedly released.

The subsequent exhumation and examination have now been completed, but the advanced decomposition of the remains has prevented the pathologist from establishing a definitive cause of death.

Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding Ernest’s death remain ongoing.