Cops target mystery man to solve Deen disappearance
THREE WEEKS after the disappearance of visually impaired University of the West Indies (UWI) student Jasmine Deen, investigators are banking on the photo of a man taken about 30 minutes before her final trace as crucial to cracking the case.
The unidentified man, who appears to be inside an ATM at 12:01 a.m. on February 28, has since been listed by investigators at the Major Investigation Division (MID) as a person of interest in a case that, according to Dennis Brooks, senior communications strategist in the Jamaica Constabulary Force, has captured the “emotions and interest” of everyone in Jamaica.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Fitz Bailey revealed that the high national profile of the case caused it to be transferred from the Area Four police to MID.
The police said that they have declined to disclose other sensitive information unearthed.
The probe is being jointly undertaken with the Communication Forensic and Cybercrime Division, The Gleaner understands.
The hunt for the award-winning first-year student carried the police far and wide, with visits to Greenvale, Manchester; west Kingston; downtown Kingston; Papine, Bull Bay, August Town, and Seaview Gardens, St Andrew; as well as Ocho Rios, St Ann.
“These searches proved futile ... ,” Bailey told journalists at a press conference at the NCB Towers on Wednesday.
The police said they had collected statements from a security guard and his common-law wife, who live in Harbour View, and seized and processed a cell phone and motor car belonging to the couple.
Bailey revealed that the investigation has been hampered by prank calls.
Lloyd Deen, Jasmine’s father, filed a missing person report with the police on February 28 after she did not show up at home the night before.
According to investigators, Deen, who lived on campus during her first semester, opted since January to commute to The UWI, Mona, from her home every Thursday because she could not afford campus boarding.
The police are in possession of CCTV footage that shows Jasmine boarding a taxi at the Irvin Hall gate of the St Andrewbased university some time before 10 p.m. on Thursday, February 27.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness is among high-profile individuals who have publicly called on Jamaicans to join in efforts to locate Jasmine.
The younger Deen, 22, is of brown complexion, slim build, and is about 4 feet six inches tall.
A reward of $350,000 is being offered by Crime Stop.