First Clue in Missing Anisha Young

As we close 2018 with this newscast, investigating officers might have a first clue in the murder of Anisha Young. The young woman has not been seen or heard from since the morning of December eighth when she vanished after socializing with her boyfriend at a night club. Suspects have been questioned and released, but over the weekend, pieces of hair extensions and skin were found in a shallow grave off the Old Northern Highway in a search conducted by Young’s family. They claim that their own investigation concludes it is Aisha’s, but police have not been as quick. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

It’s been over three weeks since Anisha Young went missing after she attended her work’s Christmas party and then went to Sit and Sip nightclub on December eighth. The family has not been able to find closure as the twenty-three-year-old, who is presumed dead, has not been located. There have been countless searches conducted by family members and friends, but to no avail. That is until around five p.m. on Saturday, when the family discovered a shallow grave off the Old Northern Highway.

Jose Espat

Jose Espat, Search Team Lead

“We initially started on leads that were coming in; evidence which we had; we had camera footages—the police got some, the family got some, myself got some. We were following the trail and we followed this all the way up to Bermudian Landing, into Willow’s Bank. We also did a search of a location in Willow’s Bank with a relation between a suspect and a family member. We also did searches along different feeder roads.”

ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Belize City

“On Saturday, I know that the family conducted searches in the Burrell Boom area and thereafter they received some information about a smell coming out of some yard from the Maskall area. About a mile off the Phillip Goldson Highway, a mile into Maskall, and it’s about maybe a hundred and fifty yards inside of an area that has a swampy area where they found a small shallow grave and inside a wig was found and suspected human flesh was found inside of the shallow grave.”

News Five is being told that the police had previously searched the same area, but somehow did not make any discovery. Interestingly, the location is in proximity to the residence of a person who had been detained in relation to the investigation.

Reporter

“That area where the discovery was made is it anywhere near where anybody had been detained in connection with this same crime?”

Alejandro Cowo

ASP Alejandro Cowo

“Yes. It is about quarter mile from that location.”

On Sunday morning, a pathologist confirmed that human skin from the bottom of the foot was found in the grave. While police are unable to determine if the findings are that of the missing young woman, samples have been taken and sent overseas for DNA testing. The family, however, believes that the hair discovered is that of their loved one.

Sheree Salgado

Sheree Salgado, Cousin of Anisha Young

“We had confirmed with her hairdresser because first we thought that Anisha was wearing her natural hair so when we came upon that weave, we said probably it wasn’t her. But when we did few calls to her hairdresser, she said yes, I was the one who braided her hair and did a full head of weave in her hair. She said that she would be able to say that that was the weave that she had in. But when we looked at all angles and how she described her braiding her hair, we are at ninety percent chances that it could be her. Because like what Mister Espat said, if you check the police database, we cannot recall of any female that went missing. And even if it was years ago, the evidence, the remains that we found would have been already been gone. So to say what next, that is what we are asking ourselves because we know that we were very close so where should we go and look now. What should we do?”

Also nearby, a wrist band was discovered and it is believed that it may be a clue in solving the case. Search Team lead, Jose Espat says they need assistance to identify where the band was issued.

Jose Espat

“We had gotten a picture of a band which is a very important piece of evidence. This band was found right in that vicinity where we found the shallow grave. This band was from some sort of party or nightclub. Mister Cowo said that he had checked Sit and Sip and it wasn’t theirs. So I went all along that northern highway where we have camera footage. I checked all those little clubs and it doesn’t check out for them. Now I want to reach out to the public and we need to check if that band was indeed from the Christmas party from the workplace.”

Young’s boyfriend remains the prime suspect in her disappearance. Duane Moody for News Five.