Wife wasn’t told about husband’s burial

Antoinette Brown-Williams got the shock of her life recently, when she learnt that not only had her estranged husband died in Belize, he was also buried without her knowledge.

Instead, she learnt of his death and final rites through online news clippings, leaving her with an unbearable mix of grief, anger, and unanswered questions. According to a report, a canoe carrying four people capsized in the Belize River in January 31 due to strong current. Kingston resident Kevon Williams was reportedly among those on board. Antoinette, who was married to Williams, a former security guard, for 17 years, described their relationship as "on and off", adding that in recent years, communication between them had dwindled.

"I haven't seen him since May 2022," she recalled. "I visited his place of employment in June 2022, but after that, he changed his number and the calls stopped. I tried reaching out, but it wasn't the same." After months of unanswered phone calls and emails to the local registry, Antoinette discovered online news clippings about her husband's drowning and burial.

"Myself or my children was not informed by the family of his death or burial," she said, her voice laden with anguish. "I have been trying over a month to find out the cause of death, but I'm not getting any answers."

In an unsettling twist, a video circulating on social media showed the funeral proceedings in Belize, with persons dressed in white placing flowers on Williams' grave, and two men holding up a canvas bearing his photo with the inscription "always loved and missed". Antoinette was not among those notified.

"They were supposed to contact me," she said. "As his wife, I should know what happened to my husband and my children deserve closure."

Adding further complexity to the situation, longstanding family discord has compounded her distress. Williams' side of the family has maintained a distance that Antoinette finds difficult to understand.

"His family financed the funeral," she noted. "But I saw no familiar faces in the video, and no one reached out to tell us about his death or burial."

Even his father Lloyd Williams, who now lives in New York, admitted, "I don't know how he died. I wasn't aware he was in Belize until after his death. I encourage her to find out everything because our family deserves to know."

"I am completely shocked by the news. I want his wife and children to know the full truth because I never even knew he was in Belize until after his death. I left my son in Jamaica and I can't understand how this could have happened."

Antoinette revealed that she was also embroiled in an ongoing custody battle over their children, a struggle that has been in court since their daughter was in daycare. Now, with a seven-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy to care for, the absence of any official notification or explanation regarding Williams' death has left her feeling isolated and betrayed. In the midst of this personal turmoil, Antoinette remains determined to uncover the truth.