After a week-long investigation and review of more than 400 pages of documentation, government-hired investigator Leonard McCoshen has concluded that there is no evidence of foul play in the death of 11-year-old Adrianna Younge. The findings were first reported by HGP Nightly News.
McCoshen, a retired officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, noted that the initial investigation by local authorities was thorough and diligent. “It is very apparent to me that members who investigated this incident took the utmost time and considerable effort to speak to any and all persons that had any information to provide relative to the incident,” he stated.
In his report, McCoshen praised the handling and documentation of the movement of Adrianna’s body following her transport to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, describing the level of care as “exceptional” and unlike anything he had encountered in previous investigations.
Despite this endorsement, calls for a more extensive probe continue.
A second autopsy conducted in the United States by Dr. Carol Terry, Chief Medical Examiner of Gwinnett County, Georgia, concluded that the first post-mortem was competently executed. However, Dr. Terry emphasised that drowning is a diagnosis of exclusion and stressed that a “thorough investigation” into Adriana’s death remains necessary.
Adriana’s body was discovered in the pool of the Double Day Hotel in Tuschen on April 24, just a day after the same area had reportedly been searched.
Adding to public concern, Dr. Mark Devonish, MBBS MSc MRCP(UK) FRCP(Edin), a Consultant in Acute Medicine at Nottingham University Hospital and weekly columnist with Village Voice News, issued a sharp critique of the initial forensic work. In a detailed commentary, he questioned both the methodology and the conclusions drawn by the local investigative team.
Dr. Devonish expressed particular concern over the absence of an estimated time of death in the report—a critical component in any suspicious death investigation. Without it, he warned, holding any potential perpetrator accountable becomes significantly more difficult.
He concluded that such omissions could lead to “an outcome that is in the interest of the installed government,” suggesting the possibility of political interference or lack of will to pursue deeper accountability.
While McCoshen’s findings may satisfy official inquiries, the concerns raised by medical experts suggest that the case of Adrianna Younge is far from closed in the eyes of the public and independent professionals.
