Neville Paul, Gleaner Writer
THREE WEEKS after the brutal slaying of 53-year-old returned resident Meretha Dawkins at her Orange Grove home at Knoxwood, St. Elizabeth, the police have made a breakthrough.
Arrested and charged with the murder of Ms. Dawkins is 23-year-old Rohan Distant, also of Knoxwood.
Ms. Dawkins was killed on November 3 at her home some time between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., when she was attacked while in her kitchen.
Her body was found in her washroom with her throat slashed, lying in a pool of blood.
A machete the police believe to be the murder weapon was found in an adjoining lot along with a mop, which was used to clean blood from the weapon.
The police then took a 16-year-old youth into custody, as the deceased had reported having a dispute with him. Mr. Distant was also taken into custody after his prints were found on the machete.
Following further investigations, the police released the 16-year-old. A search of a house occupied by Mr. Distant was conducted and clothing with bloodstains were found.
When questioned by the police, Mr. Distant maintained his innocence, claiming he had borrowed the machete the morning before Ms. Dawkins was killed to do some gardening.
On Friday night the Lacovia police formally charged Mr. Distant with murder and he is scheduled to appear in a St. Elizabeth Resident Magistrate's Court before the end of the week.
The death of Ms. Dawkins enraged the Knoxwood community as the returned resident had just begun to make a significant impact on the community.
She reportedly took into her care a female student who is attending a prominent high school in the parish after she realised her parents were experiencing financial difficulties. Members of the community also described her as a very caring person.
