An independent autopsy on the body of a 30-year-old Carenage man who was found floating off the coast in Chaguaramas on Sunday has revealed blunt force trauma, a broken jaw and several other signs of violence to his body.
While a first autopsy performed by Government forensic pathologist Dr Estlyn McDonald-Burris at the Forensic Science Centre on Monday showed that Brian Smith, of Penal Rock Road, Moruga, had drowned, a second performed on his relatives' request yesterday appeared to show a more sinister cause.
The T&T Guardian understands that the second autopsy performed by Dr Hughvon des Vignes yesterday showed that Smith died from blunt force trauma to the head and was possibly already dead when he entered the water.
It also showed that Smith had a cracked skull and a broken jaw in addition to several other visible signs of violence about his body.In a brief telephone interview yesterday evening, Smith's emotional relatives said Des Vignes report had proved their initial suspicions.
"He (Smith) was murdered. Imagine that woman (McDonald-Burris) didn't even cut open his body and she say he drowned," a female relative, who asked to remain unidentified, said.
Like other relatives earlier this week the woman claimed that Smith was killed by a group of soldiers who were doing repair works to a house in Carenage that was damaged several weeks ago by a low flying National Security helicopter .
Smith, who visiting his mother who lives in the community, was reportedly liming with the soldiers last Friday when he got into an argument with them over the disconnection of electrical wires.
Relatives believe Smith was beaten, struck on the head with a shovel and thrown into the sea in an unconscious state. His lifeless body was found by prisons officers near Alice Point on their way to Carrera Island Prison.
The T&T Defence Force, through its civil affairs officer, Major Al Alexander, has denied any wrongdoing on the part of its officers. Alexander maintains the innocence of the soliders and claimed that the Regiment had eyewitnesses who saw Smith swimming at St Peter's Bay.
Smith's death had sparked protest action from Carenge residents who burned tyres and blocked the Western Main Road earlier this week. The T&T Guardian understands that similar action was expected to be taken by his relatives in Moruga last night.
Police launched a criminal investigation into the death after the protest action.
Investigations are continuing.