Cops assessing samples analysis in De Leon Case

The investigation into the murder of Kimberly De Leon took an unexpected turn last week when the mother of the deceased, Mary Williams, vowed during a televised interview that she is prepared to put her neck on a guillotine to get justice for her daughter. She claimed the investigating officer handling the case had been ignoring her since last December. 

Police representatives had earlier stated that results of samples sent to St. Kitts for analysis would be picked up by a police officer. But Ms. Williams suggested that the mail had been used instead. “What if it gets tampered with?” she asked. “What’s going to happen? I’m very concerned.” A subsequent police release sought to shed light on the matter. It insisted that at no point is any material that is subject to analysis transported via mail, and that law enforcement officials escort these items at all times. “Only reports can be transferred through secured mail services and it is not possible to tamper with the material therein, as the information contained is also communicated verbally.”

Regarding the claim of being ignored by the investigating officer, the police stated that a decision was taken in the preliminary stages of the investigation that all updates to the family would be conveyed through the office of the Commissioner of Police. “Since then, the mother, Ms. Williams, has met with the Commissioner fortnightly, as well as exchanges via telephone. We understand and empathize with Ms. Williams, and if she is encountering any difficulties she has easy access to the Commissioner of Police through any avenue she desires.”

ACP for Crime and Intelligence Wayne Charlery also addressed the situation during an interview with the STAR on Tuesday. He said the investigating officer has made himself available in the “limited time that he has” and that the matter is still under investigation. “It’s not a matter of just bringing in somebody and questioning them,” he said. “We have a lot of rules and procedures in terms of gathering evidence. We have to do things appropriately and properly. To do things appropriately it takes time.”  He said assessment of the St. Kitts report “is still ongoing”. 

On the murder of Robert Hathaway earlier this year, Charlery says that it is complex and police could do with some help. “We are following various leads and right now we’re just waiting on some information so that we can further the investigation.”–