Shakeil’s disappearance rattling his adoptive mother

WESTERN BUREAU:

With bated breath and an unsettled mind, Trecia Thomas is yearning for the day she reunites with four-year-old adopted son Shakeil Patterson, who went missing just over two weeks ago.

Unlike previous back-to-school seasons, Thomas is currently unhappy and filled with questions as the young boy’s unworn school uniform and shoes are a constant reminder of what was snatched from her palms on August 18.

Shakeil is Thomas’ biological grandnephew, who she had been raising since he was two weeks old. She explained that her nephew fathered Shakeil, but doubts surrounding paternity were raised after the child was born. The child’s mother, who now resides overseas, reportedly asked Thomas for help in raising him.

The child, however, went missing during a grave-digging exercise for Thomas’ mother in Friendship, Westmoreland.

Thomas told The Gleaner then that Shakeil was playing with other children when he asked to go visit his father and other family members at a nearby house. She has not seen him since, and nobody has been able to account for him.

Search parties scouring the western parish have turned up empty-handed, and Thomas says family and friends have stopped looking for the young boy. Nonetheless, Thomas remains hopeful and told The Gleaner that she is positive young Shakeil is still alive.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him again. When I listened to the news, and [based] on what my nephew and his friends say, it seems like they know where he is. But only God alone knows why. Mi believe he is still alive, and somebody knows where he is,” Thomas said.

When asked if she has discussed the boy’s disappearance with her nephew and other family members, Thomas said no and sought to explain why.

“None of them speak to me since my mother died. Nobody has come to speak to me because maybe they thought I was going to stress them to help bury my mother. Nobody speaks to me since Shakeil went missing either,” she told The Gleaner.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Shaunjaye Mitchell, operations officer for the Westmoreland Division, told The Gleaner that police are still actively searching for the missing young boy. According to Mitchell, lawmen have received leads into the boy’s whereabouts, but they have not yet made a breakthrough.

“It is still an active investigation. Technically, we never close out a missing person’s investigation until that person is found. So far, we’ve conducted several case reviews. We have a senior detective assigned to the case who has liaison with the family and residents within the area,” Mitchell said.

“We still have not identified a location for the child, but we have been checking at various locations as soon as we get a lead. Leads have been popping up and we have been checking them out.”

New school year

In the meantime, Thomas said she has been struggling since the start of the school year on Monday. She explained that seeing other happy children in their respective school uniforms has been a devastating and agonising blow to her health.

“A part of my life is gone. My sister’s daughter goes to the same school, so I drove into the schoolyard and let her off. I was supposed to go meet the teacher for the new term, but when I stepped outside, my eyes were just all over. I looked over at the little boys and was just looking for Shakeil. I broke down into tear and mi just go back into the car,” recounted Thomas.

“I couldn’t come out until my sister came back and mi drive weh. Right now mi supposed to go Sav (Savanna-la-Mar) to do something and mi just in my bed. I’m stressed out,” she said.

Furthermore, Thomas is also finding it hard to accept that young Shakeil missed his great-grandmother’s funeral on August 26. She said the two shared a beautiful bond.

“Before she died, she said that her bed is for Shakeil, and other things are for him too, so it’s like I couldn’t focus at all. I was at the funeral looking out to see if anybody would carry him come put down in the church. I was outside looking and crying all day.”

“He didn’t even get the chance to come look at his great-grandmother. The wicked people tek him and nuh bring him back,” bemoaned Thomas.

Additionally, Thomas said she is deeply hurt because this is her second time losing a son in the span of two years.

“I lost my birth son two years ago. I got Shakeil when he was two weeks old, and I had him as my son. Now this happened. But everywhere mi go, mi a go look for him,” she said.

rochelle.clayton@gleanerjm.com