Remains of child found off Western Highway
The Ministry of National Security announced today that no crimes were reported over the past forty-eight hours due to the continued efforts of the police and BDF. But while they claim there was no new crime, the specter of an old one reared its fearsome head this weekend when a man who went to cut sticks off the Western highway came across a terrible scene. Wellington Wiley told police that Sunday morning he was at mile 3 and half when he found a small skull and scattered bones. Because the badly decomposed remains appear to be that of a child and were found in an area close to where two other young girls were found murdered, police are treating the matter as an extremely sensitive one. While they are being cautious in their assessment many people are already speculating that this latest find may be what is left of the first girl to go missing, Jay Blades. In fact, although no one is certain just yet, the Blades family is now convinced their little one is dead.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Two days after the remains of a child were that found on a feeder road off the Western highway, the identity is still a mystery. Today the police forensic team was back on the scene looking for more bones, which they believe, have been scattered over a wide area.
Dr. Mario Estradabran, Chief Pathologist
“The reason behind this is to find out more bones, more remains specifically the jaw which is the lower mandible which is very important to determine the sex and age.”
But a small dress found with some of the remains suggests that the body was that of a girl between the ages of six and ten years old. A black knapsack containing some schoolbooks was also found at the scene. However hopes of finding any identification were dashed when police discovered that most of the items inside had been destroyed by the elements.
Eli Salazar, Lead Investigator
“A school bag, text books and other things but the conditions they were in caused them to deteriorate a lot and because of that we are unable to determine anything from them so far. So you couldn’t tell what primary school the books are from or anything? Like I said the conditions they were found it is hard to say at this point. The Forensics have them and are going through them piece by piece to see if they can put something together for us.”
Salazar says the investigation has just started and it is too early to say if the remains are those of nine year old Jay Blades. The young schoolgirl disappeared as she made her way to school on the morning of October 7th, 1998.
Eli Salazar
“The way the remains were found, it is evident that it is something that happen a long time ago but like I said if we would say that we will only be speculating at this moment. Whatever determination will be done will be done by the doctor.”
Dr. Mario Estradabran
“The testing at this moment is just superficial. We are organizing the findings, the investigation, the
items and the bones.
Estradabran says they are also unable to determine how the young victim died. They are still trying to determine how the remains came to be scattered around the area.
Dr. Mario Estradabran
“The reason to have bones in separate locations is the time being here and as you know this is part of the Belizean jungle and there is a lot of animals during the night, during the day and normally the animals are responsible for the spread the remains all over the places.”
But while the largest concentration of bones was found close to the road which passes right near a large home, it is not clear why no area resident observed the body, or smelled the stench of decay.
Although no positive identification has been made and the Blades family has not yet been called in to look at any of the items that were found, family members say Jay did own a black school bag which fits the description of the knapsack that was found. Norma Mckay says she strongly believes the remains are that of her granddaughter.
Norma Mckay, Grandmother
“Yes, I think the Jay, it must be Jay because from the time when Jay missing, we no hear nothing. It must be she and I know that it is she.
Well we all feel bad about it especially me because I am her grandmother and I feel it everyday. I feel it everyday but I ask the good Lord, whosoever do it I want justice come and I know my God hear my prayers. Every night I pray and ask my God for justice that whosoever do it reveal themselves, you know to let us know who do it and I know the good Lord will answer my prayers, he will answer my prayers.”
The area where the remains were found is along the same stretch of highway where Sherillee Nicholas and Jackie Malic’s mutilated bodies were found. At this time however, neither Mario Estradabran, nor the police are saying if they believe the cases are related. Estradabran says he has observed some similarities, although he would not comment on specifics.
Dr. Mario Estradabran
“Hopefully I have a lot of faith that this case will be solved we are having some similarities with relation to the case, the two murders, the two previous murders late last year and at this present victim another similarity and hopefully in the next few days we will be able to come out with more evidence.
The head of the Criminal Investigations branch Simeon Alvarez says the police are not certain this is Jay Blades since they have several reports that the child had been seen alive, the most recent of which was in March when she was supposedly seen near Faber’s Road. However Alvarez says whenever police investigated the reports they found no trace of the little girl. However, they will be calling in Sharine Garbutt, Jay’s mother, and the mother of murder victim Sherilee Nicholas, June Gabourel to assist in the investigation. Viewers may recall that when Sherilee’s body was found she was wearing a dress that belonged to Jay Blades. Police are hoping Gabourel may be able to help identify clothing found at this latest crime scene.
