Eleven-year-old Adrianna Younge whose body was discovered in the swimming pool of Double Day Hotel at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, several hours after she was reported missing. Photo courtesy Loop News.
ESSEQUIBO, Guyana--The discovery of eleven-year-old Adrianna Younge’s body in the pool of the Double Day Hotel has taken a chilling turn, with authorities confirming visible marks of violence on her face and body.
The grim discovery has intensified public outrage, as the community draws chilling parallels to a 2012 incident at the same hotel, when a young mechanic was found dead in the pool under suspicious circumstances. Though the owner’s son and a hotel worker were initially charged in that case, both were later freed.
Now, more than a decade later, tragedy has struck again at the same location – and the community is demanding answers.
Adrianna had been reported missing on Wednesday afternoon after she visited the hotel with her grandmother, Carol Xavier, and other relatives around 1:02pm. Despite a police search shortly after her disappearance, her body was not found until early Thursday morning – floating in the same pool that had been searched the day before.
Family members and eyewitnesses claim with certainty that the child’s body was not present during the initial searches. The discovery has sparked intense speculation that the child may have been moved post-mortem, possibly in an effort to stage the scene.
Medical personnel and police at the scene noted visible injuries, including bruises and swelling to Adrianna’s face and limbs, deepening fears of an assault prior to her death.
By mid-morning Thursday, frustration exploded into full-scale protest. Angry residents lit tyres and debris along the main road in Tuschen, calling for justice and accusing police of negligence. Hundreds gathered at the hotel, some storming the premises, and later setting parts of the building on fire. Videos circulating online show thick plumes of smoke rising from the hotel as protestors chanted, “Justice for Adrianna!”
Residents say their anger stems not only from the tragedy itself but from what they describe as a pattern of cover-ups and corruption surrounding the Double Day Hotel.
President Irfaan Ali intervened personally Thursday morning, reaching out to Adrianna’s family and ordering a full-scale investigation. He also authorised the deployment of sniffer dogs and specialised units, although they had not arrived by the time Adrianna’s body was found.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud was dispatched to the hotel early Thursday to address the grieving family and growing crowd. She conveyed the president’s condolences and stressed the government’s commitment to transparency and justice.
Surveillance footage obtained from nearby establishments is currently under review. According to police sources, footage reportedly captured a vehicle of interest leaving the hotel compound shortly after Adrianna’s disappearance.
That vehicle, tracked through licence plate recognition technology, was traced to West Bank Demerara. Authorities are now seeking a man identified only as “Orlando”, said to be the registered owner. Police attempts to locate him at several addresses have so far been unsuccessful.
This isn’t the first time the Double Day Hotel has come under scrutiny. In 2012, the body of a young mechanic was found in the hotel’s pool under unclear circumstances. At the time, the son of the hotel’s owner and a staff member were charged with his death, but the case ultimately collapsed, and both men were freed.
Now, residents are saying that Adrianna’s death should trigger a full review of the hotel’s operations and ownership – and potentially reopen cold cases associated with the location.
A post-mortem examination is scheduled in the coming days to determine Adrianna’s exact cause of death. Meanwhile, the Guyana Police Force continues to urge anyone with information to step forward as investigations intensify.
This is a developing story. Updates will follow as new information becomes available. ~ News Room Guyana ~
