Homicide officers have taken over the investigation into the death of Moruga resident Brian Smith, who was found floating off Chaguaramas on Sunday.
His family claims soldiers beat Smith unconscious and dumped his body into the sea after an argument.
The homicide probe comes on the heels of new information following an independent autopsy commissioned by Smith’s relatives.
The autopsy, done by forensic pathologist Dr Hughvon des Vignes, has so far found that Smith, an experienced swimmer, suffered blows to the face and head. More tests are being done to determine if he drowned.
The pathologist found trauma to the head which was probably inflicted by several blows with a fist or an object and broken skin under the chin, probably caused by a fist. The final tests, which are expected today, will conclude if the blows contributed to the drowning.
The Homicide Bureau took over the investigations from the Carenage Police Station, where officers only began investigating the matter on Monday night after Smith’s relatives staged a fiery protests along the Western Main Road, Carenage, and called for justice.
On Monday, pathologist Dr Eastlyn McDonald-Burris during a first autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, concluded Smith drowned.
Relatives claimed Smith, 30, of Penal Rock Road, Moruga, was killed by a group of soldiers who were doing repair works to a house in Carenage which was damaged several weeks ago by a low-flying National Security helicopter.
Smith was visiting his mother who lives in the community. Relatives said he was liming with the officers, attached to the Engineer Battalion, last Friday when he got into an argument with them over the disconnection of electrical wires.
Relatives believe Smith was beaten, struck on the head with a shovel and thrown into the sea in an unconscious state. His body was found on Sunday by prisons officers near Alice Point on their way to Carrera Island Prison.
The T&T Defence Force, through its civil affairs officer, Major Al Alexander, has denied any wrongdoing on the part of its officers.
Alexander maintains the soliders’ innocence and claimed the Regiment had eyewitnesses who saw Smith swimming at St Peter’s Bay. He added that the military would offer any assistance to the police in their investigations.