THE Western Regional Health Authority is yet to respond to a gruesome discovery in which the decomposing body of a man killed by the police was left outside an old morgue at Noel Holmes Hospital in Hanover for two days.

The deceased man has been identified as 41-year-old Pedro Renardo Pearce of an Orange Bay address in the parish.

Reports are that the man was fatally shot by the police at his house on June 27 after he reportedly attacked the law enforcers with a machete. The police had gone to the house to warn him over an incident in which he had reportedly broken the window of someone’s car.

The man was taken to Noel Holmes Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) began it’s investigations and after viewing the body. It was bagged and taken to the hospital’s old morgue at the back of the premises which has been out of use for more than 15 years.

The smelly, decomposing body was discovered by hospital staff two days later on June 29.

When contacted, head of the Hanover Police Division, Superintendent Sharon Beeput said the police had no comment on the case, which is a hospital and an INDECOM matter.

The Western Regional Health Authority said it was looking into the matter and a response would be sent.

Denuel Anderson, INDECOM’s communications officer, said the commission is aware of the unfortunate situation. She said INDECOM was told that the funeral home was informed of the incident on the 27th.

“INDECOM is aware of the decomposing state of Mr Pedro Pearce’s body, which was unsatisfactory. Ordinarily, a body would have been collected at the earliest opportunity once the funeral home has been informed. It is the understanding of the commission that the funeral home was informed on the day of the incident. A fuller appreciation is being sought by the commission in this matter,” stated Anderson.

However, a report prepared by Dr Robert A Doyley, CEO of Doyley’s Funeral Service, has stated otherwise. The licensed embalmer and functional director, who is a medical doctor, said it was on the 29th that the funeral home received the call.

Dr Doyley said the body had remained in the same location for two days after the police and INDECOM had processed it at the hospital. He said the body was in a state of decomposition when they were called by the police to pick it up.

Similarly, Margally Pearce, the sister of the deceased man, told the media last Tuesday — the day of the post-mortem — that the blunder is not the fault of the funeral home.

“…it is not the parlour’s fault, it is the 29th that Doyley’s got the call to come and pick up the body when my brother body already been decomposed”, stated Pearce.