Friends and family of missing social media influencer 24-year-old Donna-Lee Donaldson claim that she was last in the company of a man who is allegedly a producer and security personnel who worked with a popular young dancehall deejay.
There have been protests for two days now by Donaldson’s family as they demand that the Jamaica Constabulary Force acts amid reports that Donaldson’s boyfriend, whom she was last seen with, Noel Maitland, is a police officer as well as his baby mother, Cathy Ann Smith, who has reportedly fled the island to the United States.
On Monday, the JCF said it launched a high-level probe into the disappearance of Donaldson, who was reported missing last week Wednesday. Many on social media have accused the JCF of a cover-up, given that two of its officers are allegedly responsible for the young woman’s disappearance.
On Monday, the JCF denied the reports of not acting and said that as soon as the report was received, the force’s missing person protocol was immediately activated.
Several arms of the JCF, including senior investigators from the St Andrew Central Police division with the oversight of Criminal Investigation Branch HQ, the Communication Forensic and Cybercrime Division, and Scenes of Crime investigators, have been tapped to investigate the case.
The JCF also said that a senior St Andrew Central Division officer is leading the investigation, given the report that two officers are reportedly responsible for the missing woman’s disappearance.
In the meantime, spirited citizens have taken to social media to expose Smith and his wife. Some have identified Smith as allegedly being a producer and security personnel for a dancehall rising star.
The reports have also suggested that unconfirmed witnesses say that Donaldson was at the police officer’s residence in St. Andrew up to 4 PM on Wednesday. Smith has, however, said that the young lady left his home around 11 AM on Wednesday. Other reports alleged that Smith’s baby mother showed up at the apartment, and both women were there arguing.
A social media account is also claiming that there are security cameras where the missing woman was last seen, but it is unclear if police have seen it. Another claim also says that Maitland and his baby mother were seen removing a couch from the apartment sometime after the young lady was reported missing.
The JCF is asking members of the public with information to contact the Half-Way Tree CIB at 876-926-8184, Crime Stop 311, or the police emergency number, 119.
In a press conference on Monday afternoon, the JCF confirmed that they were pursuing several theories, but no suspect has been identified. They have, however, disclosed that a criminal investigation is underway, but the police did not divulge further.
The police added that it was not limiting its investigation to just a missing person report when asked if a homicide investigation was now underway.
Two cars belonging to the policeman and his baby mother have also been processed. According to a senior St. Andrew police officer, the vehicles have been processed, which he called “things we consider of evidential value.”
As to the report that a pickup truck had gone to the apartment for a couch, the senior police officer said that 20 hours of CCTV footage was recovered from the complex that is being reviewed for possible evidence.
“I want to point out too that we have not yet determined that a definite person is dead so we can’t say that we are investigating a murder. We hope that we will find Ms Donaldson alive and within the same [inaudible] we are exploring the leads that we have and if it results in that, if she is dead, I don’t think there will be any shortfall in the approach that we take,” the officer said.
In the meantime, Smith, who is a district constable, has refused to give a statement, while Maitland has given the police a statement, the senior police officer said.
