Joash’s relatives sceptical of buggery claims

RELATIVES of 13-year-old Joash Pantin said they do not have any information that he was sexually assaulted before his death and said such claims were unsubstantiated by investigators.

Speaking with Newsday yesterday afternoon, Pantin’s great-uncle Hayden Wilson said there was no evidence to suggest the sexual assault theory and said the results of the autopsy were inconclusive.

Wilson said investigators told them they suspect Joash may have been strangled due to the consistency of marks around the neck, but could not verify that because of the body’s advanced state of decomposition.

“I can’t say for certain that he wasn’t sexually assaulted, but we don’t know and those claims are unsubstantiated.

“They took tissue samples to do a toxicology exam, but that will be back in two weeks. Until then we just don’t know.” The relatives say they do not know from where another newspaper got information about Joash being sexually assaulted.

He was last seen two houses away from his Longdenville home on Saturday night and his decomposing body was found less than ten meters away from his home on Monday night.

Police confirmed that one man is in custody and is assisting them with their investigations.