The question that thousands of Jamaicans wanted an answer to has finally been addressed in court on Tuesday; the blood found inside Constable Noel Maitland’s home was almost certainly that of his missing girlfriend, Donna-Lee Donaldson.
A seven-member jury was told that DNA testing confirmed with 99.9999 per cent accuracy that the blood belonged to the social media influencer. The blood samples were found inside a Chelsea Manor apartment in St Andrew after Donaldson vanished in July 2022.
The revelation came from a senior forensic science officer who testified during Maitland’s ongoing trial that samples were collected from three separate items inside the apartment and tested against Donaldson’s DNA profile.
Maitland is facing two charges: murder and preventing the lawful burial of a corpse. Donaldson was last seen alive at his apartment complex between July 12 and 13, 2022, the period in which she is believed to have been killed and her body disposed of.
During the trial, the court also heard from a close friend of Donaldson, who spoke about tensions involving Maitland’s child’s mother, Kathy-Ann Smith. Under cross-examination by defence attorney Christopher Townsend, the witness admitted that she was aware of an ongoing dispute between Donaldson and Smith.
She further testified that she last spoke with Donaldson around 2:00 p.m. on July 12, 2022. During that phone call, she heard cars and background noise, leading her to believe that Donaldson was out on the road. The friend explained that they had plans for Donaldson to send her money, funds reportedly from Donaldson’s father in the Bahamas, to help settle a restaurant bill. But after that final call, she never heard from her again.
Earlier in the trial, Donaldson’s mother, Sophia Lugg, also took the stand. She shared that her daughter left their St Andrew home on July 11, 2022, carrying her passport. When questioned by Townsend about the document, Lugg confirmed that it was missing after her daughter’s disappearance. Lugg recalled that her last conversation with Donaldson was around 8:00 a.m. on July 12. According to Lugg, the conversation was about her mother feeding her pet dog, China, in her absence.