Missing boys tragedy
The most serious tragedy, involving the disappearance of children, occurred in Grand Bahama. The mysterious disappearances, dubbed the “missing boys” case, gripped the nation for five months before it was resolved. The tragedy began when 12-year-old Jake Grant was reported missing on May 9. Three other boys disappeared within 18 days of each other in May – Mackinson Colas, age 11, DeAngelo McKenzie, 13, and Junior Reme, 11. The last boy, Desmond Rolle, 14, vanished Sept. 28.
The station’s report started by highlighting Jake Grant, the first boy who went missing. When his disappearance occurred, however, it did not receive public outcry. There was a report on Jake in the media, but it quickly died with other news of the day.
Public concern grew when the second boy went missing; after the third boy disappeared, it captured national headlines for weeks and was a topic of discussion on local talk shows. Hope was raised on Oct. 1, when police took a man into custody for questioning. However, the man did not offer any information that led to an arrest, even after police were granted an extension to the maximum 96-hour holding time for questioning. The following day, the Winn Dixie Supermarket, downtown Freeport, became the centre stage for the investigation, as rumours had circulated that body parts of the boys were found in a freezer at the store.
The rumours turned out to be false, forcing police to tighten their release of information. They had no evidence the boys were sent to a foreign country to be used for slave labour; that they were killed for their body parts; or used in a prostitution ring. All three theories seemed very plausible at the time and were not ruled out by investigators.
Day by day, both local and international pressure was mounting for a resolution as tourism, particularly in Grand Bahama, was on the verge of being threatened. It was a few days later on Oct. 10 when Grand Bahama assistant commissioner of police Ellison Greenslade said the police charged four people with the disappearance of Jake Grant. To the surprise of many, they turned out to be mere children, little boys who were acquainted with Jake. Under heavy guard, they were dashed to Nassau and taken to the Simpson C. Penn Centre for Boys under tight security. Greenslade also said the police were treating each of the five missing boys cases as distinct and separate matters.
However, it turned out the cases were not all distinct and separate matters as a 35 year-old former mental patient, Cordell Farrington, who the police had not suspected, told them on Oct. 27, he killed the boys and directed them to where he had buried their bodies. He pointed them deserted Barbary Beach, 15 miles east of Freeport, where the skeletal remains of four boys were located.
Farrington was charged on Oct. 29 with five counts of murder, to include four of the five missing boys and a 22 year-old man, Jamal Robins, who he befriended while at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre.
Potters Cay
In other tragedies, a disaster at sea at the Potter’s Cay Dock forced government to improve security at the waterfront. On the night of July 1, a Haitian pastor and his wife took their pickup truck to the dock and collected two passengers who had just arrived on the Eleuthera Express. There was heavy rain on that night and the pastor lost his way, taking the truck with all of its passengers into the harbour. He and his wife drowned, but two passengers, Vincent and Kevin Michelle, made it to the surface. However, Vincent their nephew, died a short time later.
Concerned citizens said security was not acceptable at the dock and that guard rails and proper lighting with reflectors at the perimeter of the dock were needed. The incident was not the first time people were killed after driving overboard. Pressure mounted and government was forced to erect lights, put new markings and provide security at the dock.
Boating accident
An Emancipation Day holiday weekend excursion turned deadly following a serious boating accident, which shocked the nation. The Aug. 2 incident involved two cargo vessels, the Sea Hauler and the United Star, which collided eight miles west of Wemyss Bight, Southern Eleuthera. Four people were killed in the accident and 25 injured. Word of the accident spread quickly locally and Internationally – CNN reported that the mail boat, Sea Hauler, was overloaded and maritime safety standards were not adhered to. On that Saturday, the entrance to the emergency section of the Princess Margaret Hospital was jammed with onlookers. Prime Minister Perry Christie addressed the nation from the hospital, saying the incident had deeply saddened the country; he promised a full investigation.
A Wreck Commission was subsequently appointed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision. However, the Commission had not been meeting as regularly as expected, encountering numerous legal snags.
Lyford Cay
A deadly explosion, unheard-of in a quiet upscale community, also occurred in 2003. On Sept 18, a three story, 20-room house in Lyford Cay, owned by Colin Callender of Callender’s and Co. law firm exploded, killing two women. The explosion, it was speculated, occurred as a result of a gas pipeline leak. 500-pound gas cylinder was involved and the blast was extremely loud, according to eyewitnesses. Police press liaison officer supt. Hulan Hanna, estimated that more than 75 percent of the house was destroyed.
Willie Mae Pratt
Another serious tragedy occurred in 2003 οΎ– on Oct. 26 at a juvenile correctional institution. A fire broke out at the Willie May Pratt Centre for Girls, gutting portions of the building. It was termed “very mysterious” because when police and fire officials arrived, they discovered one of the dormitories was locked from the outside and neither the caretakers nor the security officer could find the key. Three girls were trapped on the other side of the doors – fire fighters had to break the lock to gain entry and rescue them.
The girls were badly burnt and rushed to hospital. In the confusion, two other girls escaped and went into hiding. The following day, one of the burnt girls, 15 year-old Anastacia Alexandria, died in hospital. Almost a week later, 13 year-old Deshawn Bassett died of her injuries, in hospital. The escapees were captured Nov. 8, after two weeks of freedom.
They were reportedly being harboured by two men, 25 year-old Cecil Coakley and 23 year-old Alvin Morley. On Nov. 10 Coakley and Morley were charged with harbouring the girls. The government formed a committee, headed by Archbishop Drexel Gomez, to look into the operations of both the girls and boys correction institutions.
By Mindell Small, The Nassau Guardian
