SKULL SCARE IN MORANT BAY

The St Thomas police have halted a demolition exercise and commenced a probe after the morbid discovery of skeletal remains, believed to be of humans, at a derelict building in Morant Bay.

The discovery was made about 9 o’clock Sunday morning during a demolition exercise that was being carried out by a team from the St Thomas Municipal Corporation as part of a drive to knock down old structures in the parish capital.

According to police reports, one set of remains was found in a coffin inside the building, and two other skulls were found elsewhere in the dilapidated structure, which is located across from the Morant Bay Police Station.

The structure is said to have once served as a Lodge building.

Speaking with The Gleaner, a man claiming to be the caretaker of the building confirmed that it is known as the Loyal James Lodge Premises.

The caretaker, a former officer of the St Thomas Fire Brigade for more than 30 years who declined to have his name published, said that while he was aware that the building was due for demolition, he was surprised at the grisly discovery.

“I have been caretaker for about three years after the former caretaker died. The parish council told me that the building needs to be demolished, and I told them it needed planning because of its proximity to the Jamaica Public Service lines and its location … being in the heart of a busy town,” he said.

“... Those sections of the building were not accessed by me given the state of the building and for fear that it would tumble down,” he added.

Head of the Roads and Works Department of the St Thomas Municipal Corporation, Odel Felix, said that the unsafe building had long been listed for demolition by the local council under the Dangerous Structure Act.

“We served a notice on the building for it to be demolished. There were no occupants, and the owner for the building couldn’t be located, so we put up a notice just to notify the public that it’s going to be wrecked,” he said, adding that in the past, vendors illegally used sections of the structure.

Felix also told The Gleaner that the space is sometimes occupied by a man believed to be of unsound mind.

Councillor of the Morant Bay division, Rohan Bryan, who was on the scene when the discovery was made, said he was shocked at the find.

“Me born come see that building there and not sure what it was, but what I witnessed was them bringing down the casket on the ladder and could see the skulls and remains. I was wowed.

“I saw other weird items like an old slavery pot and something like a coal stove-looking thing and a white enamel basin. A gentleman there said it is what they used to do some sort of steaming out … . I don’t know, but I can only say what I saw, but all I know the police confirmed that they were real skulls, not dolly heads,” he said.

An elderly resident who requested anonymity said that she recalled three lodges operating from the space, two of which have been defunct since the 1970s. The third, she said, was shut down about seven years ago.

shanna.monteith@gleanerjm.com