13-year mystery

Woman seeks closure after brother’s disappearance

Esther Cunningham, 78, is searching desperately for some closure after her brother Percy Cunningham was allegedy kidnapped and murdered 13 years ago.

Cunningham explained that her brother migrated to England in the 1950s and even though she did not see him physically until 1994 when their father died, they kept in touch via letters.

But in 2006, she started to hear rumours that he had been kidnapped, taken to Jamaica, and held hostage for some time, and then shot to death and buried. Cunningham said she quickly went to see her brother’s in-laws to get information on his whereabouts as she had not heard from him in almost three weeks.

She told THE STAR that a family member told her that her brother was okay but she did not believe him.

“I went to the police station and reported the matter and they took my statement. From then, I can’t hear anything. I write to the commissioner’s office, the Ministry of National Security and Ministry of Justice and all I’m being told is that the statements are speculation and there is no evidence, but there is no investigation going on for anything,” she said.

Even though it has been 13 years since her brother went missing, Cunningham said she would not put the matter to rest.

She is also desperate to find her brother’s daughter and grandchildren with whom she has lost contact since this ordeal.

Cunningham said that she has even contacted the British High Commission to help her find her brother’s family.

But she said that she was told that she needed some information from the Jamaican police in regards to her brother before anything could be done.

“I want the police to close the case and give me something to say the case is closed so I can proceed to England with it,” she said. “I have to pursue this because if I leave this, it will fade away and I don’t want that.”