Major twist in road death after autopsy

A post-mortem conducted on the body of Keila Bryce, the 29-year-old woman who died under questionable circumstances in Franklyn Town, Kingston, has revealed she was never shot.

When Bryce died on October 11, relatives said they were told she was shot and then thrown from a moving car, which was trying to elude the police.

The Independent Commission of Investigations took an interest as it was suggested that her death could have been as a result of police firing into the vehicle. However, her relatives said that when the state-employed pathologist examined Bryce's remains on Wednesday, there was no evidence of gunshot wounds.

Bryce's sister, Sanica Newman, told THE WEEKEND STAR yesterday that the pathologist said that she died as a result of a cracked skull.

"All of us are at a loss because dem tell wi one thing and tek it back on the day and a say something different. Is like we don't know wah fi do right now. Wi just feel lost right now like someone throw wi out inna di cold," the tearful sibling said.

The police's Corporate Communications Unit said that lawmen signalled the driver of a Toyota Probox to stop at the intersection of Upper King Street and North Parade in downtown Kingston. The driver reportedly disobeyed their instructions, resulting in a chase leading into the Franklyn Town area.

The cops said that Bryce was seen tumbling from the right rear door of the moving vehicle with a wound to the head. The car sped away in the area and Bryce was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The police have charged a 24-year-old man, said to be the driver of the motor car, with assault at common law, perverting the course of justice, two counts of malicious destruction of property and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The driver was also slapped with additional charges under the Road Traffic Act, including three counts of dangerous driving, disobeying traffic lights, and two counts of travelling backwards unnecessarily.

He pleaded not guilty when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on October 20, and has been remanded until November 29.