Private autopsy shows Daniel Guerra was strangled; police stop funeral

Police have stopped Saturday's funeral for Daniel Guerra after a second autopsy revealed the eight year old Gasparillo boy did not drown as stated by the first post mortem, but was strangled to death.

Daniel's family were not convinced with the initial examination done at the government's forensic lab and asked for another to be done privately. 

A report in Newsday said two detectives from the Homicide Investigations Bureau witnessed the autopsy, which was done at Dass Funeral Home in Marabella, South Trinidad.

Homicide Investigations Bureau detectives stopped the funeral service and asked for authorities to do a third autopsy, Newsday reported. That's expected to be done on Saturday.

Police believe they are close to solving the case, the paper reported. It said two Lucozade bottles found in an abandoned silver-coloured car that police have seized may reveal the identity of Daniel’s killer.

Daniel disappeared from near his Gasparillo home last week Friday. His bloated body was found two days later in a river near his home. Witnesses reported to police that they had seen the young boy enter a silver car.

Police have questioned more than 60 people so far in their investigations.