Body of British rapper Kenny Vulcan recovered off the coast of Brazil in apparent suicide
The authorities in Brazil have confirmed that the body of Kenny Vulcan, a British rapper, who was missing since April 13, has finally been discovered. The forensic investigators have said that the body was found washed up on a beach on May 5 near Mirante do Rocandor, to the west of Rio de Janeiro. It was discovered close to where the rapper was said to have committed suicide. Even though his body was found early in May, the forensic results and the DNA test results were released by officials only on June 25. The police said that the reason the results were delayed for so long was because the remains were found in a state of advanced decomposition.
The 22-year-old rapper's family said that they were informed of the situation and that they are currently making arrangements to take his body back to the UK. The initial identification was done using forensic evidence which confirmed the height, gender, and the ethnicity of the body. Vulcan's family, however, kept insisting that the body wasn't his even before the forensic test results came back with the confirmed details. They have also said that another test will be conducted back in the UK once the body is taken back, the Mirror reported.
27-year-old Rais Bona Bin Mapianda, a cousin of the deceased rapper from London, said: "We are aware of the DNA result and understand what it implies. We are in contact with the British authorities and we will get these results verified and retested independently." He also said that the family is devastated with the news and want to be left in peace to grieve in private after the tragic loss of one of their own. The family lives in Woolwich, London.
The forensic test confirmation that the body was indeed Vulcan's was made possible after the family sent over some of his personal items like a razor, toothbrush, cap and his underwear. The rapper had taken his own life by throwing himself off a rock and into the sea in Brazil according to the detectives at the Missing Persons Department (DDPA). DDPA chief Ellen Souto said that the rapper had committed suicide "by throwing himself into the sea while suffering from depression".
According to Vulcan's 20-year-old Brazilian girlfriend, Renata Lima, he had reached the country on December 4, 2017, with the dream of launching his music career in Rio. He was also planning to start a new life with Lima after they lived together for three months. Vulcan disappeared mysteriously on April 13 afternoon after he took an Uber from a recording studio he was at to the tourist beauty spot he jumped from. A payment that was made with his credit card confirmed that he had made a transaction shortly before he died.
When he arrived at the location of his alleged suicide, Vulcan then deactivated all his social media accounts and then jumped to his death. The authorities searched for his body from the air and sea but were only able to recover a backpack that contained his laptop, passport, bank cards, wallet, pen drives, and headphones, that was found by surfers nearby who handed it over. The search lasted for two weeks after which it was called off.
Vukcan's family has made it clear that the conclusion the Brazilian authorities arrived at is wrong and still have hope that he is still alive somewhere but "for whatever reason… (didn’t) want to be found for now". Kenny Mukendi Sr., the father, has said that he does not believe his son would committ suicide and that the whole family was "deeply disappointed with the result of the investigation by the Brazilian police."
Relatives of the deceased rapper have challenged the conclusion reached about his state of depression. They believe he is still alive and does not want to be found. In fact, they were still continuing their search for him and have put out posters everywhere offering up a reward of 1,000 reais (£200) for any information about where he could be. They have allegedly even heard back from some witnesses that the rapper has been spotted alive.
Detective Souto said: "This idea of taking his own life had already crossed (Kenny’s) mind in London, his girlfriend told us. His father knew this and feared that he would come alone to Brazil, where he could commit this unthinkable act." Meanwhile, Kenny's father expressed his disappointment in the result of the investigation by the authorities.