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Demolition exercise in Morant Bay halted after skeletal remains found

Published:Sunday | May 8, 2022 | 3:41 PMShanna Monteith- Gleaner Writer
This dilapidated building, located across the road from the Morant Bay Police Station, is now the scene of an investigation after skeletal remains were found in the building this morning by persons employed by the St Thomas Municipal Council to demolish the structure (photo by Shanna Monteith).

The St Thomas Police have launched an investigation after human skeletal remains were found in an abandoned building that was being demolished by parish authorities on Sunday morning.

The Gleaner was informed that 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 Morant Bay Police Station. The structure is said to have once served as a Lodge building.

The remains were discovered sometime after 9 o'clock. 

The demolition exercise, which 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, had to be halted to allow the police to investigate.

A source told The Gleaner that it 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,” the person said, adding that in the past, vendors illegally used sections of the structure, but were ordered to remove their belongings.

The source also informed our news team that the space is sometimes occupied by a man believed to be of unsound mind.

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