How a 5-Year-old Helped the JCF Identify Mother’s Killer At just five years old, she became the key to solving her mother’s murder
When a gunman opened fire inside a Hanover home, killing a young mother in front of her daughter, it was the child’s vivid memory and brave cooperation that helped police build a sketch so accurate, it led to a breakthrough in the case. The story, shared by Sergeant Howard Francis of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Visual Identification Unit (VIU), was among the most powerful demonstrations at the JCF Transformation Expo 2.0, now underway at the Montego Bay Community College.
“The incident took place in Hanover where a young lady and her daughter were at home. Someone showed up at their door, explaining to the child that he was looking for her mother,” said Francis. “As soon as the girl opened the door, the man entered the home and opened fire on the mother. The 5-year-old escaped through the backdoor and later met up with her aunt.”
It was the child’s aunt who took her into the police station where a composite was ordered (the process by which an artist develops an image of a suspect based on a description of the individual). The child’s description was so accurate that the artist was able to produce an image very close to the suspect’s likeness. “Her aunt was immediately able to identify the suspect as a close family associate,” Francis explained.
This case is a testimony to the power of composite sketches which rely on a witness’s description and the abilities of the artist, both of which are then leveraged by technology available to the department.
A strong description can lead to images as high as 90-95% accurate as was evident in the case of the 5-year-old witness. So long as a witness is able to share a description, Francis is confident in the Force’s ability to produce results. “To add to that, a witness may get shot and hospitalized, and we can simply move our equipment to the bedside and get a description. We can then move the case along,” he said.
The VIU is only one of several booths open to the public at the JCF Transformation Expo which started on Thursday, June 19.
The event is being held simultaneously at the Montego Bay Community College and Kingston’s National Arena. Dedicated to showcasing the technologies employed by the JCF, the Expo was developed for the purpose of fostering trust between the Jamaican people and the officers dedicated to fighting crime on their behalf. The 4-day event will comprise interactive booth displays, and live performances and demonstrations. The Expo concludes on Sunday, June 22.
