Boyfriend had warned Khanice against taking rides from suspect

The boyfriend of Khanice Jackson, whose body was found near an old fishing village on March 26, had warned the 20-year-old Portmore woman against taking rides to work with the main suspect in her eventual murder.

Kevon Williams disclosed to The Gleaner that while he had expressed his reservations to Jackson, she dismissed his concerns as overblown and misconceived.

“She always sees the good in everyone and refused to dwell on negativity. I was very protective of her in a loving way because I know the dangers that lurk out there,” Williams said.

The accounting clerk left for work on March 24 and vanished without a trace. Tragedy was confirmed when her decomposing body was found with the hands and feet bound.

A 50-year-old mechanic, who is a person of interest in police custody, is expected to be interrogated by detectives on Tuesday.

Jackson’s gruesome death has sparked national outrage about violence against women, prompting social-media campaigners to lobby for tougher legislation and to call for collective soul-searching.

The young lovers often talked about the fear of death, Williams said, but he believed he was more vulnerable because he has diabetes.

Her playful reply was, ‘You can’t leave me with the children; I can’t manage without you’,” Williams said.

“She then asked me what if she passes before me, and I told her I couldn’t survive without her. She turned to me and said, ‘You will have to be strong for the kids, you will have to move on’.”

The couple do not share children.

Williams, who will be 21 on Friday, said that he had been thrilled when Jackson recently bought him early birthday presents: an Apple watch and a MacBook laptop.

The citizens’ association held a grief counselling session with Jackson’s mother, Eunice Chambers, on Sunday night to provide an opportunity for residents of Independence City to heal.