Mother talks about sister being a suspect for 2 year old’s death

Kaylee Burgess

The family of Kaylee Burgess, the toddler who was suffocated in Ladyville, says they still have no closure in the death of their daughter.  It’s almost two weeks since the child was killed and no one has been charged. Family members who were detained and questioned have been released. Kaylee’s parents, Deidra Pratt and Kevin Burgess, are emotionally frustrated; this morning they said they believe there’s a cover up. Duane Moody reports.

Deidra Pratt, Mother of Deceased

“My sister is the main suspect in my daughter’s case.”

Duane Moody, Reporting

It’s now twelve days since her untimely death and still no one has been charged for the murder of baby Kaylee who was killed, just two days before her second birthday, on September fifth while in the care of her aunt. Today, both parents of the toddler spoke to the media.

Deidra Pratt

Deidra Pratt

“I really upset that me and Kevin noh get justice from our daughter as yet. I think the police di work wah lee but to slow to get the justice of my daughter. I mean we had meetings and different things from the police; we have concrete evidence showing that my daughter was murdered; concrete evidence showing that you can charge somebody fi my daughter murder and nothing has been done as yet. It’s been twelve days since my daughter passed away.  I’ve been in Belize City, I’ve been in Ladyville Police Station, everywhere and they showed me so much evidence about my lee gial case and nothing is being done. I don’t want my baby case goh just like that and I noh wah rest make my baby case goh just like that. I wah try everything weh I could. If dah person love my lee mama as much as dehn say dehn love my lee mama, give me and her father wah closure to this.”

The case file, we were told, was forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions last Thursday. The aunt, Saphira Pratt, who was detained since last Tuesday, was released from custody over the weekend. Father of the Deceased, Kevin Burgess says someone needs to be held responsible pay for the death of baby Kaylee.

Kevin Burgess

Kevin Burgess, Father of Deceased

“We want see someone pay for it; someone face the consequence because right now they are handling it like dah just wah ordinary case like a broken window. Even the broken window for me dehn take more serious. I just want justice for my daughter and quick.  The only thing weh deh so far dah from police when we call and find out info and nothing released yet from D.P.P.; nothing from D.P.P. and that is all we have so far. Nobody detained for it.”

Deidra Pratt

“When I left my house on the Wednesday morning, my daughter was in the care of my sister. How dehn wah release my sister and she deh ina di care of my daughter. I trust she enough to left she in care of my daughter and the Wednesday night I find out that my daughter dead.”

And to make matters worse, Deidra Pratt, the mother of baby Kaylee, says that she is at odds with her family and believes there is a cover-up.

Deidra Pratt

“I have certain comments from certain family members saying that left di police make dehn do dehn job, noh push nothing; god wah deal with it ina ih own way and they are still trying to convince me that my daughter drowned. And I personally saw concrete evidence saying that my daughter did not drown. I know for a fact that she was murdered and I know that my family knows what’s going on. I feel like it’s a cover up for everybody—my family, the police and everything because we just get information saying that one of my family members has been involved with someone from the police department recently. So dah like dehn di go lenient on my baby killer. Dehn noh di give me my fair justice.  In the meeting that I had with all the police on last week Tuesday morning, they said we have the evidence; see and look at the evidence here. This is the evidence; you know what, go pick up such and such a person. And only one out of those two persons they said they would pick up was picked up—they did not pick up two of them; they only picked up one. And that was just it, nothing else happened.”

But who could have killed Kaylee and why?

Deidra Pratt

“Even if Saphira; even if she noh have nothing fi do with my baby death, she knows something because my daughter mi wah cry.  I believe because a conflict weh gone on between she and her boyfriend and outta rage, dehn kill my daughter and dehn panic. And dehn call my ma. That’s why I believe something in that way; all my family members know weh happen to my daughter.  I believe dehn kill my daughter outta frustration and rage.  The person weh responsible for my daughter death, dehn just throw my baby ina dah bucket of water like she neva have wah life—like she dah mi nothing to nobody. I di plea to this person or whoever it is; if dehn have wah heart, make we have wah closure to this case.”

Duane Moody for News Five.