By Glenroy Sinclair, Staff ReporterAN AVERAGE of one person a day has been reported missing since the beginning of August, the police say. They say they are baffled by the reports.
Since July, four persons who had been reported missing have been found dead, the police say. Their bodies were found in shallow graves, septic tanks and in bushes.
Det. Deputy Supt. Cornwall Ford, of the newly-created Organised Crime Investigation Division (OCID), said on Tuesday that his unit may have to take on the task of probing the disappearance of missing persons.
"Since some of these cases involve abduction, which is a part of organised crime, we might be asked to investigate these cases," he said.
A month ago, Senior Supt. Sidney Henriques told The Gleaner that a special team of highly-trained detectives would be given the task to probe immediately the disappearance of missing persons, instead of allowing 24 hours to go by before investigating the reports.
REPORTED MISSING
Among persons reported missing since August are: Eric Moriah, 27, mason, of Tredegar Park, Spanish Town, St. Catherine. The police said that about 7 p.m. on August 5, Mr. Moriah left home for Discovery Bay, St. Ann, and has not been seen since.
On August 8, Christina 'Shakira' Hewitt, 14, of River View, Papine, St. Andrew, disappeared from her home. She has not been seen since.
Joscelyn Junior Brown has been missing since May 5. A resident of Greenwich Town, Kingston 13, he was last seen wearing a white guernsey with red stripes, grey pants and brown shoes.
In St. Mary, the police are seeking the assistance of the public in locating Keith Sequira, 46, of Retreat, who has been reported missing since August 6.
The police said he left his home for a grocery shop about four chains from his house and has not been seen or heard from since.
On August 11, the Constabulary Communication Network reported that Ann-Marie Porter, 25, her son Courtney, and six-year-old Najoy Hall, all of Highlight View, St. Andrew, went missing on June 27.
According to the police, Miss Porter's boyfriend reportedly placed them on a bus to visit relatives in rural Jamaica, but they did not arrive and have not been heard from since.
