Shock and grief swept through Moneague, St Ann, after the bodies of one-year-old Amir Saunders and three-year-old Shamir Henry were found following their brutal murder. Residents, along with local leaders and child advocates, described the tragedy as “beyond tragic” and rallied around the grieving mother, who lost her only two children. The Child Protection and Family Services Agency has pledged counselling support for residents.

‘Horrific'

Young father accused of murdering one-year-old son, three-year-old stepson in Moneague, St Ann

Jamaica Gleaner/28 Aug 2025/Carl Gilchrist/gleaner Writer

A 22-YEAR-OLD man is expected to be charged for the gruesome murder of two young children, one his son, the other his common-law stepson, whose bodies were recovered on Wednesday in Swamp district in Moneague, St Ann, after they went missing the previous night.

Dead are one-year-old Amir Saunders and three-year-old Shamir Henry.

Minutes before 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Acting Senior Superintendent of Police Rohan Elliott, police commandant for St Ann, told The Gleaner that the suspect was not yet charged, and investigations were ongoing by the Major Investigations Division and the local Criminal Investigations Branch.

Earlier, Elliott had indicated to reporters that the man would be charged based on evidence given by the children’s mother, who has reported to the Moneague police that she saw him stabbing the children with a pair of scissors, forcing her to flee to the station.

The police account of the incident painted a harrowing picture.

About 8 p.m., the young commonlaw couple were in a house, drinking ganja tea, as the two children were either playing or asleep in a crib.

Possibly as a result of the effects of the tea, an argument developed between the couple. The young man grabbed a pair of scissors and attacked the woman, who somehow managed to escape; but as she glanced back, she saw him turn his anger on the children, stabbing them with the scissors.

She dashed to the Moneague

Police Station and reported the incident. When the police arrived at the home the children could not be found – only a splatter of blood to suggest the worst – and the young man was in an intoxicated state.

He was taken into custody, while the police launched a search for the children. The following morning, the bodies of the children were discovered, one at the back of the house and the other some distance away.

As news spread of the murders, the outrage grew.

Lloyd Garrick, councillor for the Moneague Division, knew the children. He also knows the accused and his father.

“When I learnt of it, I was shocked. I was hoping that when they couldn’t find the kids, I was hoping that they were somewhere. But when I realised that we are in a new day (after midnight), I was saying, for a one-year-old to be somewhere it could cause concern, so I really started to think otherwise. I was hoping for the best, but then the call came that sometime this morning, before noon, they found them.”

BEYOND TRAGIC

In a release yesterday, the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) lamented the traumatic impact of such incidents.

“This gruesome incident is beyond tragic; it is absolutely horrific! We shudder to think of what these innocent children may have endured in their final moments. Our hearts are also with the mother, who has suffered the devastating loss of her only two children,” said CPFSA CEO Laurette Adams-thomas.

“Our investigations into the matter are ongoing, and while we are unable at this time to confirm whether there was a history of violence in the home, what we do know is that these gruesome acts have left scars not only on the family, but on the wider community.”

Adams-thomas said the CPFSA would organise two meetings in the community – one with the adults and another with the children – to assist them in processing their grief and trauma following the tragedy.

“Incidents such as these can cause deep trauma for residents, especially children, who may struggle to make sense of what has happened. As is our practice, the CPFSA will work with communitybased partners, such as schools, churches and other government agencies present in the community, to support the healing process. These group sessions will help us to assess the extent of grief being experienced by the members of the community, especially the children, and provide further counselling interventions where needed.”

In the meantime, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness, in a release, also expressed condolences to the mother of the infants.

“I extend my deepest condolences to the grieving mother, family members, and the wider community, who must now grapple with this unimaginable pain and loss. No parent should ever have to endure such a tragedy, and as a country we mourn alongside them,” the prime minister said.

“As a society, we must be vigilant in safeguarding the well-being of our children. Whenever there are signs that they may be at risk, it is important that action is taken to protect them.”

Elliott, in the meantime, is encouraging the public to find peaceful ways to resolve their differences.

“We believe that the couple had an argument and it would have resulted in what transpired here last night. We do have the Domestic Violence Intervention Centre that persons can utilise to resolve their dispute. We also partner with the Restorative Justice Centre and the Victim Support Unit, where persons can get help in resolving their differences. We also want to encourage neighbours to (anonymously) report disputes,” Elliott told journalists.

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