Bail application delayed for accused in Slickianna murder case
MONTEGO BAY, St James — The bail application for Rushawn Patterson, who is charged with the murder of popular social media influencer Aneka “Slickianna” Townsend, was delayed on Thursday because a number of documents are still unavailable.
“There are a number of items that are outstanding and I do have a CD to serve on [the defence attorney] today,” the prosecution told Justice Andrea Thomas when the case was called up in the St James Circuit Court.
The CD contains a video recording of interviews and recorded statements.
Items yet to be received include a report from the post-mortem as well as the final report of video footage from an express bus company and a restaurant. Also outstanding are forensic certificates of several items removed from the car that the Crown is alleging Patterson was driving between the evening of October 20 and the afternoon of October 21, vehicle tracking reports from the same vehicle, DNA comparison, and a compilation of photos. The photos are linked to efforts by the manager of a business place to identify the woman he saw there.
After the court proceedings Thursday, Patterson’s attorney Michelle Thomas told the Jamaica Observer that she did not push for bail because the outstanding documents will play a vital role in moving forward.
Patterson is booked to reappear in court on March 9, 2023.
According to the timeline laid out by the police, Townsend travelled from Kingston to Montego Bay on October 20. She was seen with Patterson at a restaurant in Hanover and a guest house in St James.
“At some point during in the night an argument developed between them, which resulted in Patterson strangling Townsend and disposing of her body,” the police have alleged.
Townsend’s scantily clad body was retrieved from the sea in Reading – between St James and Hanover – on October 21.
Patterson was named as a person of interest on October 22. He was picked up at a guest house in Hanover by an Police Area One operational team on November 2 after missing at least two deadlines to turn himself in to the police.