BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – OVER the past four-plus years, four young men from the twin-island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis have gone missing without a trace, and family members are still grappling with the reality of the situation.
The four young men are Kasim ‘Dula’ Maynard of Pond’s Extension, St. Kitts; Keita Williams, whose address was given as Newtown, St. Kitts; Dylon Clarke of Church Ground, Nevis; and Kevaughn Pemberton of Old Road, St. Kitts.
Maynard and Williams were reported missing on Tuesday, February 19, 2008, and according to Collin ‘Izum’ Matthew, on that afternoon, he, Williams and Maynard went out in a fishing boat, FV LADY SEA, to clear fish traps they had set around the Canoe Bay area when a high wave suddenly hit the boat causing it to capsize.
Matthew explained that the three of them started swimming towards the shore but he was the only one who had made it to safety. He added that about 7:20 p.m. on the same day he reported the incident to officers of the St. Kitts and Nevis Coast Guard (SKNCG).
He however said that he was annoyed with the treatment meted out to him by the SKNCG when he reported the incident. “The Coast Guard was not hospitable! On arrival at the Coast Guard, I was dripping wet, cold and shivering, but no one saw it wise to offer me something hot to drink or a piece of bedding to keep me warm.”
Commander of the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force, Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Wallace however claimed that some of the statements made by Matthew against the SKNCG were false.
Wallace had told SKNVibes that Matthew was not the first to have reported the capsizing of the ill-fated FV LADY SEA in the Atlantic Ocean, but their friends in Nevis.
“Matthew was not the first person to report the February 19 incident of the fishing vessel and the missing two men from Newtown. It was friends of the men residing on Nevis that called the Coast Guard Base informing of the incident…and Matthew’s report was made more than an hour after that.
“On receipt of the information the Coast Guard already had a vessel out at sea on patrol, and another one was immediately sent out with a rescue team, and that was before Matthew’s arrival at the Base,” Wallace said.
He also declared investigations revealed that Matthew had gone to his home before reporting to the Coast Guard Base and that members of the SKNCG are humane and would have provided him with warm bedding or clothing if he were wet and shivering from the cold as he had alleged.
“We, the members, of the Defence Force and the Coast Guard are not beasts. We are the protectors of the borders and the integrity of this Federation and all of its inhabitants. No member would see an individual coming out of a situation as Matthew claims and do not provide him with the needed comfort. He was not visibly wet and, if he says different, he’s blatantly lying,” Wallace stressed.
Many had claimed that Matthew’s account of what transpired on that fateful day seemed fishy and the police had indicated that they wanted him to assist them with their investigations into the matter.
And on February 26, 2009 he walked into the Basseterre Police Station and was interviewed by members of the Criminal Investigation Department.
Matthew died at the JNF General Hospital on Monday, March 2, 2009 following an incident on Catherine Julius Street (a.k.a. First Street) in Pond’s Extension, where he was shot multiple times to the body.
Days after the men went missing and feared drowned, it was rumoured that Williams was seen in Cayon. However, according to a senior member of the security forces, “both overt and covert operations were carried out in the Cayon area but Williams was not seen. Therefore, we concluded that the rumours were false”.
Recently, on condition of anonymity, an individual claimed that Williams is alive.
“I was reliably informed that days after the incident Williams was seen in Cayon. Shortly after that I was told that he went to St. Maarten by boat and he later travelled to St. Thomas. This information was relayed to the police but nothing positive came out of it. I think that the local police should contact their counterparts in both St. Maarten and St. Thomas in an effort to bring this incident to a closure.”
Speaking with Maynard’s father, SKNVibes was told that the missing man is mostly remembered by family members on four specific occasions, and that they would have felt better if his body were found and buried, rather to be left wondering for the rest of their lives.
“While his mother and siblings would have signs of grief written on their faces every Christmas Day when we would sit as a family and have lunch together, and also on his birthday (2nd November) as well as the day when we got the message that he went missing, I remember him every time I am contracted to construct or repair a building. You see, he used to work with me in the construction field and I had heavily depended on him for putting down the tiles. He was adept in laying tiles and it pains my heart to know that his body was never recovered. Now we all are left to wonder for the rest of our lives what became of him.”
Over on Nevis, 17-year-old Dylon Clarke has been missing for approximately five months and his grieving relatives had and are still offering a financial reward to anyone who could provide information leading to his location.
He was last seen in the vicinity of Moon Light Bar in Church Ground up to about 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 28, 2012 wearing a yellow Polo shirt, a short jean pants and Nike black and white sandals.
Many parties, some of which comprised the teen’s family members and friends, the Nevis Disaster Management Department with support from the Police and the Fire and Rescue Services and assistance from other agencies and volunteers, had reportedly searched the length and breadth of the island but failed to locate him.
Clarke was said to have been a witness to a homicide on Nevis and this might have led to widespread speculation of his disappearance.
However, Commissioner of Police Celvin ‘CG’ Walwyn had dispelled rumours that he was a victim of foul play. He noted that people needed to stop some of the rumours they were pedalling.
Speaking with WINN FM’s senior reporter Toni Frederick in May, the Commissioner said, “We need to stop some of these rumours that are going around. I even heard that I’ve been paid off. People don’t know what they are talking about. That’s stupid! People need to be more responsible. We have a young man who is missing…we have a family who is hurting; please, if you know something call us, but don’t call us talking thrash.”
The Commissioner was instrumental in negotiating with the US Virgin Islands Police Department for a cadaver dog, Hassan, and its trainers Officers Samuel and Rivera, to assist in the search for Clarke.
According to The Observer, Assistant Commissioner of Police Robert Liburd said the dog and its trainers had covered the areas of Church Ground, Cane Garden, Pond Hill, New River, Fort Ashby and Hamilton.
The Observer also stated that ACP Liburd had informed that the cadaver dog had picked up a scent on a Cane Garden property, indicating that there was at one point a dead body on the ground of the said property. But the cadaver dog did not specifically link the odor to any particular individual.
“The ACP confirmed to The Observer that a suspect in Clarke’s disappearance resided on that property. The Observer was reliably informed that the suspect is an individual accused of murder.
“It was revealed however, that excavation of the property recovered no remains. Police maintain that an indication by a cadaver dog means that there is a high probability that at some time in the past remains were in the area,” the newspaper added.
It was said that the property upon which the cadaver dog had picked up the scent of human decomposition is where a teenager whom police had in custody on suspicion of murder.
The suspect was said to be a friend of the missing teen and he was released on bail. However, at the suspect’s preliminary hearing, Clarke reportedly refused to testify against him.
And following the cadaver dog’s indication, one of Clarke’s relative told The Observer that they suspected the police of covering up for that particular suspect because there were too many inconsistencies n the investigation.
In the wake of this allegation, Commissioner Walwyn told Toni Frederick, also in May, that people in St. Kitts and Nevis like to speak of things of which they have no knowledge, noting that he heard some strange things that the missing lad was a witness to a crime.
“I have learned here in the Federation people speak a lot of stuff they don’t know about. I’ve heard some of those strange things that he was a witness and all that stuff. This young man has already said he was not testifying, so there was no reason for anything like that to happen to him. They are alleging that someone may have caused him misfortune.”
He claimed that Clarke and the individual suspected to be involved in the homicide were very good friends and, “as a matter of fact, that’s one of the reasons why I believe he was not to testify. So, there’s no reason for anybody to suspect that”.
“We don’t have any reason to believe that! If that changes, then shame on me. But right now we have nothing to substantiate the rumours ion the street,” he added.
Since then, no progress has been made in locating Dylon Clarke and, like Maynard, his family members would like to see a closure of this case with positive results.
The last of the four is Kevaughn Pemberton and it has been over three months since he was reported missing.
The 23-year-old went missing sometime between 9:30 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Monday, June 18, 2012, and one of his relatives explained to this publication that he had left his sister’s home at Hermitage Road, Old Road at about 9:30 that evening, but he did not indicate where he was going.
The relative also indicated that attempts were made to contact him via his cellular telephones but both had appeared to be turned off.
According to the relative, he was last seen wearing a black shirt and a pair of camouflage three-quarter-length pants.
In early July, a police press release stated that two brothers, Keithroy and Kenrick Phillip of Stone Fort Estate in Challengers, were arrested and charged with Pemberton’s murder.
This media house was somewhat baffled at the contents of the press release, knowing that there was no report of him being killed and also, as stated by Inspector Cromwell Henry in an interview whilst he was the Police PRO, that only after seven years would a missing person be declared legally dead even if their remains were not found.
However, when contacted on the morning of July 11, Police Press and Public Information Officer Inspector Lyndon David told this publication that investigations had led to the two brothers’ arrest and evidence, which he was not permitted to disclose, indicates that Pemberton was murdered even though his remains were not found.
Contacted this morning (Sept. 26) for an update on the four missing men, Inspector David declared that no progress was made in locating them to date and the police are seeking the public’s assistance in these matters.
He also said that anyone with information as to their whereabouts could contact the Criminal Investigation Department at 465-2241, extension 220 or the nearest police station.
All information, he assured, would be treated with the strictest confidence and could be given on condition of anonymity.
Inspector David further said that the files on the missing men are not closed and investigations are ongoing.
