Trinidad Police Service Investigates Unlawful Disposal of 56 Bodies, Including 50 Infants, in Cumuto

Police in Trinidad and Tobago launched an urgent investigation after the remains of at least 50 infants and six adults were dumped at a graveyard in Cumuto, with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) saying the bodies were found in the town of Cumuto, about 40km (25 miles) from the capital Port of Spain.

“- Published The remains of at least 50 infants and six adults have been dumped at a graveyard in Trinidad and Tobago, police say”

BBC

BBC reported that “The remains of at least 50 infants and six adults have been dumped at a graveyard in Trinidad and Tobago, police say,” and said a preliminary investigation showed it may be a case of an “unlawful disposal of unclaimed corpses.”

BBC

The Trinidad Guardian said TTPS recovered 56 bodies so far, including 50 infants, four adult males and two adult females, after officers from the Cumuto Police Station responded to information and secured the location.

WIC News similarly said police found remains of 56 bodies during an investigation at the Cumuto Cemetery on Saturday, April 18, 2026, and described the scene as a forensic case with Crime Scene Investigators dispatched.

DW said police discovered the remains of at least 50 babies and six adults at a cemetery in Cumuto, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of Port of Spain on the island of Trinidad, and noted that police did not say if any of the bodies had been identified.

Across the reporting, TTPS described the discovery as deeply troubling, with BBC quoting police commissioner Allister Guevarro saying, “The discovery was ‘deeply troubling’.”

Investigators described a forensic process that began immediately after the discovery, with TTPS saying Crime Scene Investigators carried out a detailed forensic examination of the site.

The Trinidad Guardian reported that officers secured the location and that Crime Scene Investigators “carried out a detailed forensic examination,” while TTPS said investigators reported that one of the adult males and one of the adult females showed signs of a prior post-mortem.

Caribbean National Weekly

Caribbean National Weekly likewise said the six adult remains included four males and two females, and that “All but one of the male bodies had identification tags attached,” while “two of the adult bodies — one male and one female — showed signs that autopsies had been performed.”

DW added that five of the adult corpses had toe tags such as those put on bodies in morgues, and that two of those bodies—one male and one female—had signs that autopsies had been carried out.

The Trinidad Express Newspapers said the TTPS recovered 56 bodies comprising 50 infants, 4 adult males (one showing signs of a prior post-mortem) and 2 adult females (one showing signs of a prior post-mortem), and that all adult remains except one male were found with identification tags.

Across the accounts, police said the investigation remained active and developing, with TTPS stressing further forensic analysis to determine the origin of the remains and whether any laws or procedures were breached.

Police leaders framed the case as one requiring accountability, with TTPS commissioner Allister Guevarro directing that the matter be treated with the highest level of priority and oversight.

“Police in Trinidad and Tobago discovered the remains of at least 50 babies and six adults at a cemetery on Saturday”

DW

The Trinidad Guardian quoted Guevarro saying, “The nature of this discovery is deeply troubling, and we understand the emotional impact it will have on families and the wider national community,” and added that “Every cadaver must be handled with dignity and lawful care.”

In the same statement, Guevarro said, “Any individual or institution found to have violated that duty will be held fully accountable,” a line repeated by BBC and Newsday.

BBC connected the discovery to the broader security environment, saying a state of emergency that gives police extended powers of search and arrest has been renewed since being introduced on 2 March, and that the US state department has issued travel advisories due to crime and “a heightened risk of terrorism.”

DW also said the country extended a state of emergency first imposed in December 2024, and that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s government extended it last month, while News Room Guyana reported that the House of Representatives voted to extend the state of emergency by an additional three months in March.

In the midst of that wider crackdown, police continued to urge calm and asked the public to step forward with information, with the Trinidad Guardian saying investigators would provide updates as confirmed information becomes available.

While police emphasized urgency and forensic work, local reactions in the reporting showed skepticism and anger about what the discovery could mean.

WIC News included comments from locals raising questions about whether parents had failed to claim bodies, with Lily White saying, “So 50 parents didn’t claim their child’s body? would love to hear the real story behind this and not what the media wants us to believe.”

L'essentiel

The same WIC News report quoted another local stating, “Start digging up that cemetery, I am certain they have done that before. More mass Graves there.”

In contrast, police statements across outlets stressed that the investigation remained active and that further forensic analysis was underway to determine the origin of the remains and any associated breaches of law or procedure.

The Trinidad Guardian said the investigation remains active, with further forensic analysis underway to determine the origin of the remains and whether any laws or procedures were breached, and urged calm as investigators work to verify facts and establish responsibility.

DW similarly said police did not say if any of the bodies had been identified and that the case was “an active and developing investigation, and further forensic analysis is underway to determine the origin of the remains and any associated breaches of law or procedure.”

Authorities said the next phase would focus on determining where the remains originated and whether any laws or procedures were breached, while specialized units continued to work under TTPS leadership.

“Macabre discovery in the Caribbean: Bodies of 50 children and six adults found in 'the sixth most dangerous country in the world'”

Meganoticias

The Trinidad Guardian said specialized units, including the Homicide Bureau and officers attached to the Northern Division North, were continuing investigations under the supervision of Senior Superintendent Sherma Maynard-Wilson and ASP Balewa.

Meganoticias

Trinidad Express Newspapers similarly said specialized units, including the Homicide Bureau and officers attached to the Northern North Division, under the supervision of Snr Supt Sherma Maynard Wilson and ASP Balewa, were engaged in the investigation.

Caribbean National Weekly said the matter remained an active and developing investigation and that police were investigating how the remains ended up at the site and whether any laws or procedures were violated.

Newsday said police were working to determine the origin of the human remains and any associated breaches of law or procedure, while also quoting Guevarro’s statement that “Any individual or institution found to have violated that duty will be held fully accountable.”

In the meantime, police urged the public to be patient and to contact TTPS through established channels, with the Trinidad Guardian saying members of the public with relevant information were encouraged to contact the TTPS.