'Unspeakable violence!' - $2 million reward offered for information on murder of 9-y-o schoolgirl

National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang has labelled the murder of a nine-year-old girl in Spanish Town, St Catherine, an “unspeakable” act of evil and announced a $2 million reward for information leading to the capture of her killer.

“The brutal rape and murder of a precious nine-year-old child is an outrage, particularly in a time when the police have been effectively reducing the number of murders by double digits,” Chang said in a statement on Saturday.

“Let me be very clear, that this horrific act of unspeakable violence, where the life of an innocent child full of promise and potential has been cruelly extinguished, will not go unpunished.”

The police have named Giovanni Ellis, otherwise called ‘Coolie Man’, as a person of interest in the gruesome killing of Kelsey Ferrigon.

Kelsey’s partially nude body was found stuffed inside a barrel at her Job Lane home around 8 p.m. p.m. on Friday, a police statement said.

Investigators believe she was beaten and sexually assaulted.

Chang has instructed Police Commissioner Major Dr Kevin Blake to deploy “every available resource” to catch those responsible.

“The full force of the law will be brought to bear on the perpetrators of this evil, heinous, and cowardly act,” the minister declared. “The response must be swift.”

The Ministry of National Security said it will offer an award of $2 million for information from the public that will assist in the early capture of the perpetrator or perpetrators. “This tragedy demands more than just the capture of criminals. It compels all good citizens to confront the deep-seated issues within our society that allow such barbarity to occur,” Chang added.

“I, therefore, urge those responsible to turn themselves in. To the citizens, I say to you, ‘Do not harbour them.’ The police will leave no stone unturned to capture these criminals.”

The minister extended his “deepest condolences and unwavering support” to Kelsey’s grieving family. “To the family of this child, I offer my deepest condolences and unwavering support during this unimaginable time. The entire nation mourns with you.”

“The brutality of crime in all forms is a scourge in our society and we are committed to rooting it out,” he said. “We owe it to this innocent soul and to all our children to create a Jamaica where such atrocities are never repeated.”

Police efforts are being led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Wayne Josephs, head of the Criminal Investigations Branch, who said law enforcement is fully mobilised to find Ellis.

“The brutal assault and murder of Kelsey Ferrigon has sent shockwaves through our entire force and I’m sure throughout Jamaica,” ACP Josephs said on Saturday.

“We are utilizing every single resource at our disposal – our investigators, our forensic teams, our intelligence networks – to relentlessly pursue and apprehend the monster responsible for this act. We owe it to Kelsey, her family, and every child in Jamaica to bring this individual to justice swiftly.”

Members of the public with information on the whereabouts of Giovanni Ellis are being urged to contact the Spanish Town CIB at 876-984-2305, the National Intelligence Bureau at 811, Crime Stop at 311, or police emergency at 119.

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