Three more skulls discovered at old building in St Thomas

Workers employed to the St Thomas Municipal Corporation have discovered at least three more skulls and other skeletal remains at the old Loyal James Lodge building today.

This brings to seven, the number of skulls found so far. 

Details on the latest discovery are still being sought. 

The demolition exercise started on Sunday but was quickly halted after the first three sets of human remains were found in the building, which is located across from the Morant Bay Police Station.

Following a police probe, the demolition was cleared to resume Monday but the discovery of another box bearing a skull and a few bones triggered a second halt.

Head of operations in the St Thomas Police Division, O'Neil Thompson, told The Gleaner Tuesday that post-mortems are to be ordered as investigations continue.

Thompson said contact has been made with representatives of the Lodge in Jamaica. 

The caretaker, a former officer of the St Thomas Fire Brigade for more than 30 years who declined to have his name published, said while he was aware that the building was due for demolition, he was surprised at the grisly discoveries.

An elderly resident who requested anonymity said that she recalled three lodges operating from the space, two of which have been defunct since the 1970s. The third, she said, was shut down about seven years ago.

Demolition workers have found documents they say give a glimpse into the lodge operations at the building in the 1970s. 

-Shanna Kaye Monteith

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.