Family members of 20-year-old Shonnette Odessa Dover are struggling to come to grips with the fact that the young woman was murdered by her 19-year-old boyfriend and then buried in a shallow grave, in the presence of her 15-year-old sister.
Dover went missing on April 3 and during the wee hours today, her decomposed body was found buried in the Canvas City, Wismar yard of the boyfriend, Shaquawn Alleyne.
The young lady’s grandmother, Constance Dover, told INews that she remains in shock over this development.
“The police come and he said, ‘Mistress we have found a body…the family would have to come and identify it’,” the grandmother recalled the moment she received the dreaded news.
“I didn’t expect something like this would’ve happened to Shonette. I asking God why?”
“This is a shock, this is a stab in we back… We never expect something like that. Me and Shonette ‘tight’ and I didn’t know all these things was going on…,” the grandmother lamented.
She is also horrified that the killer continued to help the family in searching for the young lady, even after his heinous actions.
“… Shaquawn come here bout two weeks ago when he didn’t find she. He going and help search with them (the family) and yet still I ain’t know all these things (he) had in mind…,” the grandmother related.
She is contending that her granddaughter had a good life ahead of her, and did not deserve to die that way. “Shonette was a nice person, a kind, jovial person. Like to do things for persons, like to help persons out,” she said.
Meanwhile, Dover’s cousin, Ronda said it was “unbelievable”, since Alleyne was actively involved in searches for the woman after she was reported missing.
“This boy just deh behind them [the family]. He help to look. He even talk on TV and all kind of thing and still…,” the cousin expressed in disbelief.
“It is so sad. Shonette was one of the child that I so loved… and she was one of the educated ones. She did good in she CXC… She was so young. Not even a child she didn’t make or nothing,” the grieving cousin lamented.
Dover and Alleyne knew each other since school days. In fact, the two were engaged.
The victim’s 15-year-old sister was witness to the brutal murder. Police said detectives contacted the teen at about 23:35hrs on Thursday, they interviewed the child.
Police said “detectives – in the presence of a Child Care and Probation Officer – at Wismar Police Station Criminal Investigation Department, subjected her to a video interview, during which she was told of an allegation, cautioned in accordance with the Judges Rules and provided a statement.”
The teen was reportedly present the night her sister was murdered.
Police said information provided alleges that on the night the victim went missing, her boyfriend was oiling “his brownish gun in their living room”.
He then pointed the gun at the victim who told him “he like play and he should put away that thing.”
The teen said she then heard a sound like a squib and he (suspect) said “oh shoots, I shoot that girl.”
The sister said she saw Shonette’s mouth opened and blood on her face.
The teen said she told the suspect “let’s take her hospital” and he said “no she dead already”.
The teen said she and the man then went to his father and told him what transpired.
His father told him “don’t tell (me) stupidness, why (you) playing with the gun?”
They subsequently left and collected a spade, dug a hole aback the house where the victim was buried. The suspect then hid the gun.
In the wee hours of this morning, on the teen’s directions, ranks went into action and dug up the area about four feet down during which they stumbled upon the body of a female, partly decomposed.
Due to the decomposed state of the body, it was difficult to see any marks of violence on the most exposed parts of the body.
It was escorted to the Linden Hospital Complex and pronounced dead on arrival at 03:50hrs and is now at the mortuary where it is being stored awaiting PME.
The 15-year-old was placed into custody pending investigations.
The father of the suspect was arrested and placed in custody pending investigations.
A wanted bulletin has been issued for Alleyne.
