Princes Town mother hopes body is not her missing son

The mother of Christon Marshall, a 17-year-old who has been missing since last year, is hoping and praying that the remains of a body found in Moruga are not those of her son.

Dianedra Samuel, of Buen Intento Road, Princes Town said police contacted her on Friday evening about the find, but could not say whether the body was her son’s.

Around 4 pm Moruga police led by Sgt Toussaint were taken to a shallow grave on the shore at La Lune in Moruga, where the skeletal remains were discovered. Also in the grave were a red bandana, a three-quarter blue pants and what appeared to be a white jersey.

Samuel said it has been heart-wrenching ever since her son went missing on December 28 last year.

She said, “As a parent the thought of knowing that there was no way to save my child or get him in my arms again is devastating.

"He only turned 17 a few months ago. We are not able to see him, hold him, hug and reassure him that we love him.”

Marshall, also called “Tantan,” was a form five student at the Barrackpore West Secondary School and was due to sit the upcoming Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination.

“He was a bright little boy and always wanted to do something in the area of business. He was very excited for this.

"Tantan also liked to sing and every spare moment he would he get he would go to a studio in New Grant to practise,” Samuel said.

His mother described him as a typical teenager who would be a good boy at times and act up at other times.

She said Marshall went to either La Lune or Marac Village with a man to buy marijuana. When they spoke to the man, he claimed to have dropped off the boy in Moruga and then left.

Samuel said, “We knew he smoked weed, but only found out some time after that he had gone with this man. We found it strange that he would stay there without knowing the people.

“Some people told us he was murdered, and others said he was traded off to Venezuelan drug dealers. So right now, we do not know what to believe.”

Samuel said she wants closure, but is still hopeful that her son will come home.

“Everything has turned upside down since he went missing. His father and I separated, I found out I have a medical condition that needed urgent attention and his 14-year-old sister has been depressed ever since. She wanted to stop school.

“We are all depressed and traumatised by the situation and now we have to deal with this 'What if.'"

Samuel added that she was disappointed in the way the police handled the matter and delivered the news to her on Friday evening.

“The situation is already difficult for everybody, including the police. We understand they have their jobs to do. But they could at least have been a little courteous to us.

“All we were asking for is any information that could help ease our pain. Instead we get dismissed and talked down to.”

Senior police told Sunday Newsday on Saturday the case still had a long way to go, as DNA testing had to be done in the US. They said this could take months.

Anyone with information about Marshall’s whereabouts can call 999, 555, 911, 800-TIPS or contact any police station. They can also Whatsapp the Police Commissioner at 482-GARY or report it via the TTPS App.