Man held in Skyers probe to be released - Two remain in custody as cops await forensic evidence
Published:Tuesday | April 30, 2019 | 12:24 AM
Sleuths probing the murder of eight-year-old schoolgirl Shantae Skyers in the Sterling Castle Heights community in St Andrew are still trying to piece together information to figure out who committed the gruesome act.
Assistant Superintendent Dahlia Garrick, head of the police’s Corporate Communications Unit, said two weeks after Skyers’ body was found among rubble in the community, the police are no closer to finding her killer.
The day after the five-day search for the missing schoolgirl in the hills of rural St Andrew came to a grisly end on April 16, residents set upon a 26-year-old resident, Miguel Williams, beating and killing him for allegedly withholding information that could have helped the probe. Investigations so far have failed to identify evidence linking Williams to Skyers’ death. His murder is also still under investigation.
In the aftermath of the discovery of Skyers’ body, the police detained three men for questioning.
The third man, who was detained last week, is to be released because of a lack of evidence, The Gleaner has learnt. The two other men are to remain in lock-up pending further investigations.
Garrick said that investigators are still awaiting the forensic results, two weeks after the Red Hills Primary School student’s body was found.
Shantae went missing while on her way from school on April 11.
At a community meeting at the Sterling Castle New Testament Church of God last Thursday, Senior Superintendent Charmaine Shand, head of the Centre for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse, said her department has been investigating 55 cases of sexual abuse perpetrated against children in the St Andrew North Police Division in which Sterling Castle Heights falls.
She urged residents to say what they know of incidents of children being abused.
“We are seeing it, but we are not talking. Tell the police about what you know,” she pleaded.