Custody to be decided for Silvera children
Cops seek person of interest in murder probe
Published:Friday | February 2, 2024 | 12:21 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
The judiciary is to decide today in whose custody the children of Melissa Silvera and former legislator Jolyan Silvera will be placed as the high public interest murder saga involving the Silveras continues.
The Gleaner has learnt that the matter is set for mention in the Kingston and St Andrew Family Court this morning.
The court is seeking to have the children settled in the best environment, soonest.
Melissa, 42, was killed a month shy of her eighth wedding anniversary with 52-year-old Jolyan, a land developer, who is in custody, charged for her murder.
He was arrested on January 19, a week after Melissa was laid to rest at the St Andrew Parish Church.
The Silveras had four children, all boys, during their union.
A tragedy at their family home on August 29, 2017, claimed the life of one of the boys.
Justin Silvera, who was two years old, reportedly drowned in a pool.
The court is now to decide who will care and become responsible for their nine-year-old twin boys Adam and Aden and youngest child, four-year-old Axel.
On November 10, it was widely publicised that Melissa, a University of Virgina graduate, passed away peacefully in her sleep at the Silveras’ Diamond Court, Stony Hill, apartment in St Andrew.
During an autopsy conducted three weeks later at a prominent funeral home in Kingston, three bullet fragments were discovered in her body, prompting investigators to mount a murder probe.
The matter was subsequently removed from the jurisdiction of the local police and handed to the Major Investigation Division.
NEW CHARGE
Last week, Silvera received an additional charge under the Gun Court Act for using a firearm to commit an offence.
His licensed firearm was seized for testing immediately after the autopsy determined that Melissa possibly had been shot.
Jolyan, who is represented by King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie and attorney Patrice Riley, made his first appearance on January 25 in the Circuit Court Division of the Supreme Court following a voluntary bill of indictment from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Champagnie, following the first hearing, begged the public to exercise some level of restraint and said he believed it was important that irrespective of the views, there were young children involved.
“It is a very, very difficult time for the three children,” Champagnie told the media last week.
It is said that the boys are very close to both parents.
Silvera, a former one-term People’s National Party MP for St Mary Western, was further remanded until February 8 as certain documents were outstanding.
PERSON OF INTEREST
In the meantime, detectives assigned to the Major Investigations Division (MID), are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a person of interest who they believe can assist with the investigation into the murder.
She is Sashana Miller, of a Corporate Area address.
Miller has been asked to turn herself in to the MID’s office at 230 Spanish Town Road, Kingston 11, or the Criminal investigation Branch head office at the NCB South Tower, located on Oxford Road in St Andrew.
In a statement, the Corporate Communications Unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force asked anyone Miller's whereabouts to contact MID at 876-758-5048, CIB at 876-922-2380, Crime Stop at 311, the 119 Police Emergency 119 or the nearest police station.