Police nab fifth suspect for Paulwell, Patterson abduction, murder
Published:Friday | December 29, 2023 | 12:12 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
A fifth person has been taken into custody in connection with the murder and abduction of opposition lawmaker Phillip Paulwell’s infant daughter and her mother.
The male suspect was arrested on Wednesday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Fitz Bailey, who is in charge of the crime portfolio, made the disclosure yesterday during a press conference in which he shared that the suspect is to go through an administrative process.
He was unable to provide any further details as to the role played by the suspect and the possible charges that are to be laid, but indicated that further information will be provided later.
However, DCP Bailey said, “’We are going to ensure that every person who participated in that crime face justice. We are committed to that as an organisation. It is one of the most gruesome crimes that we have ever seen and we are going to ensure whoever is responsible, it doesn’t matter where they hide.
“The Bible talks about if you spread you bed in hell, even if you spread you bed in hell or in the utmost part of the sea, we are going to find the person and bring them to justice,” he warned.
Ten-month-old Sarayah Paulwell and her mother, 27-year-old Toshyna Patterson, were abducted from their home on Gilmour Drive in St Andrew on September 9.
They were allegedly taken to east Kingston and shot and killed and their bodies burnt.
The alleged mastermind, a United States Navy petty officer, Leoda Bradshaw, who is Paulwell’s companion, was among four persons arrested in connection with the shocking and gruesome crime.
She and her cousin, Roland Balfour, who is also implicated in the murder, remain in custody, and both are to return to court on March 6 of next year.
Bradshaw, who also shares a child with Paulwell, was charged with two counts each of capital murder, conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy to kidnapping.
Balfour was charged with two counts each of accessory before the fact to kidnapping and accessory before the fact to murder.
The two other persons who were arrested have since pleaded guilty and were sentenced.
Roshane Miller was sentenced to seven years and 10 months for two counts of conspiracy to kidnap, two counts of accessory before the fact of murder, and two counts of misprision of felony, while Richard Brown pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and was sentenced to 30 years.