Authorities in Guyana have confirmed that the remains of 26-year-old Dailen Paneque Gómez, a Cuban national who vanished last week, have been discovered in a bushy thicket in a village along Guyana’s East Coast Demerara. A serving police officer, who was reportedly in a romantic relationship with the victim, has been taken into custody in connection with her death, law enforcement officials confirmed Wednesday.
Deputy Police Commissioner Wendell Blanhum, who heads the Guyana Police Force’s Criminal Investigations Department, told reporters the arrested officer led investigators directly to the site where he allegedly disposed of Paneque Gómez’s body after killing her. Investigations have officially been reclassified as a murder probe following the recovery of the remains.
“There were key developments in this case over the past 24 hours. The investigation is now being treated as a murder. A serving Police Constable has been arrested and placed in custody, and he is currently assisting detectives with their ongoing inquiries,” Blanhum stated in an interview with Demerara Waves Online News.
Paneque Gómez, who worked at the Lusignan Health Centre, was last seen early on the morning of June 18, when she left her residence to head to her workplace. No contact with her has been recorded since that day, prompting an immediate missing person search after her disappearance was reported.
Before the recovery of her body, members of Guyana’s local Cuban community had launched a public appeal for urgent action, reaching out to top national officials including President Irfaan Ali, Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond, and Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, urging all competent state agencies to deploy full resources to locate Paneque Gómez and investigate her unexplained disappearance.
The case has drawn close public attention in Guyana, with investigators continuing to process evidence and interview witnesses as the probe moves forward.