A skeleton discovered deep in the thick inland mangroves of East End may have remained there for several years, the Compass understands. The origin of the body and the possible story behind the grisly find has been the subject of intense speculation in the community over the past few days. A mishap? A murder? Or something else?
Henry McAllen Harris isn’t sure, but like everyone else at the Big Tree BBQ, he can speak of little else.
“It’s a puzzle, a mystery,” he said.
The Big Tree BBQ founder – whose business is a short distance from the secluded mangrove area where the remains were found – said he is usually cautious, but the discovery has put him on “high alert”.
Harris, who grew up in the Sand Bluff area in Gun Bay, has seen a lot over the years, from drug runners to illegal landers running through the community.
“[There] is so much illegal activity in this eastern district that it could be anybody. [We] can’t say [if he is] from Jamaica. We can’t say [he is] from Cuba… We don’t know who it is,” he said, explaining that people in his tight-knit community have been checking on everyone to make sure all are accounted for.
“We definitely know [it’s] not an East Ender,” he said.
“From the time we hear ‘dead body’, we checked to make sure… no record of anybody missing in East End. It is a mystery and it’s really something that I can’t clear my mind on,” he told the Compass.
He theorised it could be “somebody that came into the island that was hiding out and they got [into] difficulties,” he said, though he added, “I can be 100% wrong.”
Police, in information released at the time the remains were discovered, said officers were “actively seeking information about missing persons, particularly from East End”.
Secluded spot
The Cayman Compass attempted to get to that spot in Gun Bay, but navigating the dense, bushy area proved to be a challenge.
The entrance was marked by a grassy makeshift road that led to thick foliage further into the mangroves.
The area was eerily quiet; there was no visible human activity and it was a distance away from the main road.
Compass sources suggest the remains were stumbled upon by someone who had been surveying the area for future development.
Dawson Whittaker, who lives on Austin Conolly Drive, a street over from the area where the remains were found, said he is concerned by the lack of information coming from authorities.
“The police should have given some report on what they found so the public would know what’s happening around here,” he said.
Whittaker said the incident has left him with an uneasy feeling.
“It is really shocking and concerning. This neighbourhood is a quiet, peaceful area, and for this to happen, it’s worrying… Is it some family or somebody in the neighbourhood or somebody that they bring and dump there? It’s hard to tell how long it’s been there,” he said.
Police, in their initial report, said it had been determined that the recovered remains were that of an adult male “who had been in this situation for an extensive period of time”.
Theories run rampant
East End residents have been speculating about who the man might have been and how he ended up in the mangroves.
Theories abound – from Cubans fleeing their homeland to drug runners seeking refuge.
The circumstances of the death was the topic of debate among a group of men gathered at the cabana at East End beach, a popular community meeting spot.
They said the remains could belong to someone outside of the community as often there are reports of people from other districts coming to “hide from police”.
“Plenty people come up here for different reasons… it could be anyone,” one resident said, as the other two men nodded in agreement.
One resident on Seaview Road, East End, said he was cleaning his property last Thursday. He described seeing a commotion with police in the area.
He and his neighbours observed the police helicopter overhead. He said when he saw the Crime Scene Investigation vehicle following a police car, he knew it was “not good”.
“People are saying all kinds of things,… but no one knows for sure. It’s all speculation,” he said, returning to his yard work.
Harris, meanwhile, suggested there should be a stronger border patrol in the area and that the Cayman Islands Regiment be posted at certain points along the coastline to stop illegal landings.
Investigations under way
The RCIPS confirmed to the Compass the discovery remains under investigation, but provided no further update to the public.
The Compass understands that investigators are pursuing leads in Jamaica in their efforts to identify the remains, and has confirmed both law enforcement agencies, the RCIPS and the Jamaica Constabulary, are in communication.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call the Bodden Town CID at 947-2220.
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