BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – HUMAN remains were on Thursday (Nov. 14) discovered in Challengers Mountain and police have launched an investigation to determine the identity of the individual and the possible cause of his/her death.
A release from the Police Public Relations Department stated that the remains were discovered on the day in question during a joint operation by the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force in Challengers Mountain.
“The remains are not new and appear to have been there for years. An investigation to determine the identity of the remains and a possible cause of death are underway,” the release read.
This recent discovery may bring relief to one of the many families who have lost their loved ones under unknown circumstances.
Over the past five-plus years, a number of individuals have gone missing without a trace and family members are still grappling with the reality of the situation.
Among them are Kasim ‘Dula’ Maynard of Pond’s Extension, St. Kitts; Keita Williams, whose address was given as Newtown, St. Kitts; Andrew ‘Spinal’ Samuel Jr. of Conaree Village, St. Kitts; Duran ‘Big Head’ Grant of Clay Ghaut Village, Gingerland, Nevis; Leslie ‘One Pack’ Jeffers of Hermitage Village, Cayon, St. Kitts; Dylon Clarke of Church Ground, Nevis; and Kevaughn Pemberton of Old Road, St. Kitts.
Kasim Maynard and Keita Williams were reported missing on Tuesday, February 19, 2008, and according to the late 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. Since then, the two young men have not been seen or heard from.
Andrew Samuel had gone missing without a trace since June 25, 2009 and his grieving family members are still hoping that someone may provide information that could bring his abductors to justice.
At the time of his disappearance, Samuel was 23 years old and his mother, Lavern Matthew, said she had last seen him shortly before she had left her home at approximately 11: 00 a.m. on the day in question. He too has not been seen or heard from since his disappearance.
Duran Grant (27) was last seen in the late hours of October 6, 2010 in Cole Hill Village, Nevis during a storm. Grant’s mother said that her son’s disappearance seemed suspicious because he would not leave his home in the middle of a storm. This father of three has also not been seen or heard from since his disappearance.
Patricia Jeffers said she had last seen her 27-year-old son, Leslie ‘One Pack’ Jeffers, at about 600 a.m. on Tuesday, February 28, 2012 and has not heard from him since.
In a past interview, the mother said they either communicate or visit with each other regularly but more than three days do not elapse before further contact is made; which is why she became alarmed when – having seen him on the Tuesday – she made a report to the police when the weekend came and not hearing from him.
She told SKNVibes that she is still praying and hoping that one day she might see him walking through the door to her home.
Dylon Clarke has been missing for almost 19 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.
Clarke was said to have been a witness to a homicide on Nevis and that might have led to widespread speculation of his disappearance.
It is now approximately 17 months since Kevaughn Pemberton 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, St. Kitts 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 cell phones but both had appeared to be turned off.
In early July of that year, 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 then Inspector Cromwell Henry in an interview whilst he was the Police PRO, that only after seven years a missing person would be declared legally dead if their remains were not found.
However, when contacted on the morning of July 11, 2012, Police Press and Public Relations 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.
To date, Pemberton was not seen or heard from and no word came from the police concerning the men charged for his alleged murder.
Another person from Keys Village had reportedly gone missing but this media house does not have any record pertaining to him. His name was given only as an alias – ‘Pang Man. However, an investigation will be launched to have the details published in a subsequent article.
This is not the first time that human remains were recently found in St. Kitts and revelations of the identities were not had from the police.
The most recent were those discovered at South Friar’s Bay Beach in the vicinity of the Shipwreck Beach Bar and Grill.
A press release issued on Monday, October 15, 2012, by the Police Public Relations Department stated that on the previous day during the passage of Tropical Storm Rafael, “officers of Frigate Bay Police Station, CID, and Crime Scene Unit responded to a report at Friar’s Bay, South East Peninsula that a partial skull and partial rib cage were washed ashore.
“The remains were taken into police custody by CRO for further analysis”.
This media house was informed that the almost copper-coloured remains, skull and upper torso, were discovered by individuals who were on the beach.
And on January 25, 2011, the skeletal remains of a human were unearthed on a construction site east of the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in West Farm.
Information reaching SKNVibes at that time stated that while workers of DCK International Construction Company were preparing the foundation for construction of a building next to the university, the skull of a human being surfaced after they dug some three feet into the ground.
An informed source said that further digging revealed additional human remains, which, like the skull, seemed to be those of an infant.
Police had taken the remains into custody and the then Press and Public Relations Officer, Inspector Vaughan Henderson, had told this media house that “officers from the Crime Scene Department collected the remains and took them into police custody for further analysis and investigation, while officers from the CID interviewed a number of construction workers and professional staff of Ross University who were all of the opinion that the skeletal remains were akin to that of an archeological find”.
He also said that efforts were being made to get scientists from Ross University, in collaboration with the St. Christopher National Trust, to determine the origin and age of the remains.
To date, no word on the analysis was received from the police.
It is therefore hoped that Thursday’s discovery would not take the form of previous finds, and that the police would seek assistance from experts to determine the identity and cause of death in an effort to bring relief to one of the many grieving families.
