Shanika Small’s mother still awaiting answers

Despite providing the police with two blood samples for DNA testing in connection with a decomposed body believed to be that of Shanika Small, Sheryl Caesar Small, Shanika’s mother, still does not know if the body is that of her daughter.{{more}}

In an e-mail sent to SEARCHLIGHT on January 15, Caesar-Small she said she first provided a blood sample in October 2011, when she was told that the testing would be done in Jamaica.

“After following up on a regular basis with the St Vincent Police, I was informed some seven months later, on May 14, 2012, by Commissioner (Keith) Miller of the St Vincent Police, that the testing was done in St Lucia, not Jamaica as I was told earlier. The results came back ‘inconclusive’. No further information was provided by Commissioner Miller, with regards to the DNA results, despite multiple samples sent for DNA testing,” the e-mail read.

On September 4, 2012, Commissioner of Police Keith Miller told SEARCHLIGHT that the results of tests conducted on DNA samples from the decomposed body found in the Dauphine-Welcome area on October 30, 2011, were inconclusive.

Caesar-Small’s e-mail said following the “inconclusive” result, she was then asked to provide a second sample.

“After much consideration, I send a second sample on October 2012, by express service to my lawyer, Mr Joseph Delves. He then forwarded the specimens immediately to Commissioner Miller.

“During recent conversations with the St Vincent Police in January 2013, I was informed the second sample is still held in St Vincent and they are awaiting word from Jamaica, when the sample can be sent off…. I was told the police has to follow policy and some three months later, the samples still remain in St Vincent,” the e-mail further read.

Acting Commissioner of Police Michael Charles told SEARCHLIGHT yesterday that the samples will be sent for testing in Jamaica “soonest”.

Charles explained that the police could only send samples when Jamaica can accept them.

“You can’t really blame her. It’s her daughter and she’s very much concerned about her, but on the other hand, there is a lot of DNA testing going on in Jamaica, so we have to wait on them until,” Charles said.

Charles said they were in contact with Jamaica last week, but noted that they did not get a “positive word”.

“We were told that more than likely before the month end, that the samples will be taken.”

He added that the samples will be carried to Jamaica by an investigator from the local constabulary.

“We have to wait on them. We could only do what we can do.” (KW)