Mother of student: 'He didn't die from asthma'

The mother of Trinity College student Joash Pantin this morning challenged claims that her son died of asthma.

Speaking to Newsday at the Forensic Science Centre, Chimelle James said, while her son did suffer with cardiac related asthmatic attacks, she did not believe it was an asthmatic attack that killed her son.

She said the person of interest in police custody is well known to the family, and said she had a conversation with him hours before the teen went missing.

James described her son as a star student who was looking forward to his 14th birthday on Friday.