Woman convinced missing son is dead

"Dem dead," said Beverley Keddon matter-of-factly as she opined on the fate of her son, Justin Graham, and his girlfriend, Shaneek Salmon, who have been missing since June 24.

Keddon, while hoping to be wrong, counted Graham among her deceased children. The mother of six said two of her children are now dead, Graham included, as a result of violence.

Reports from the Hunts Bay police are that about 9:30 a.m. on June 24, Graham, 28, and Salmon were last seen leaving their home in Berwick Road, Kingston 13. It is believed they were heading to the Sand Bed community in Norbrook, St Andrew. The couple has not been seen or heard from since.

"It rough and mi don't know if a chop dem chop, or if a sumpn dem use to lick him in his head. Mi don't know if dem bury him and dem sumpn deh a kill mi. If him alive, mi want him; and if him dead, mi want the bodies. Mi want both of them. I want to know what happen to them," Keddon said.

Keddon told THE STAR yesterday that it is unlikely that her son would be alive and not contact her.

"Is almost two weeks now and mi know if him did alive he would reach out to us, because a mi do everything for them," the distraught mother said.

She revealed that her son, who was on the police's list for a murder committed in his community, was careful to avoid areas where he could be in the crosshairs of persons who wanted him dead. In fact, the mother said she ensured Graham did not spend a lot of time in Berwick Road, noting that he narrowly escaped death after being attacked at his gate a year ago.

"Last September, man come a gate to kill him and dem fire 28 shots at him, but a only four shots him get in his hands and foot. He was doing roadwork when dem attack him, and him run and drop and dem go over him and fire at him, but God make none a the shots dem never catch him in his head. From that, him is not here, him just go and come," she said.

The mother said that her son has since been unfairly targeted by persons, including the police, who blame him for various incidents that have been committed in the area.

"Mi son tell mi say him gonna go in on the police case, but him a make tings cool off first, because him know him never guilty of anything. The same day him go missing a dah same day him say him a plan to go in," Keddon said.

She conceded that her son is "no saint", but insists that he is innocent of the various acts of wrongdoing for which he has been accused.

"Him very quiet and you would have to trouble him to get him out. Him is no saint, enuh, don't get the ting twisted, but you would have to trouble him. Him have too much friends, but otherwise from that him alright," she said.

Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Shaneek Salmon and Justin Graham is being asked to contact the Hunts Bay police at 876- 923-7111, police 119 emergency number or the nearest police stat ion.