The Manchester community is rallying in hope and heartbreak as the search for 12-year-old Jayden Crochet Smith, a first-form student of Manchester High School, stretches into another day. Jayden has been missing since Friday, after he left school.
His aunt and guardian, Ann-Marie Thompson, recently spoke to the media, expressing that her days have been heavy with worry. “It’s a very sad moment. It’s a very lonely moment. It’s a very despairing moment,” she said.
Jayden, she explained, was more than just her nephew. “Jayden is my twin brother’s son, so you could know the bond that we had. Jayden is like glue to me. He’s a humble child, a loving child, and words just can’t explain how good of a child he is.”
Thompson has raised Jayden since he was five years old, guiding him through school and milestones. She recalled proudly that he was the valedictorian at his basic school graduation and shared that she had worked tirelessly to make sure he had every opportunity to excel.
It is alleged that Jayden’s disappearance comes on the heels of an incident at home involving a baby. Circulating rumours say that he was playing with the baby, and when the toddler fell and sustained injuries, he was disciplined by his relatives. However, Thompson denied these claims. “Why would I try to hurt him now? Accident do happen, but Jayden is my heart. We desperately need him back home,” she said.
While residents, the police, firefighters, and canine units have intensified the search, Jayden’s school has also leaned on prayer. The school, over the weekend, hosted an online prayer session with over 300 people. Principal Jasford Gabriel spoke openly on Saturday about the atmosphere of unease that has settled on the campus. “Just trusting God that he will somehow intervene. And we are hoping that little Jaden is safe,” he said.
According to the aunt, the search effort has been complicated by conflicting reports about Jayden’s last known movements. Gabriel confirmed that the student was present at school all day Friday. He was later seen in Mandeville, and students reportedly saw him at MegaMart. Jayden usually travelled with designated taxis, but the operators of those taxis did not see him on Friday.
The boy, described as of slim build and dark complexion, was last seen in his khaki uniform and brown shoes. A high alert has since been activated by the police.
Thompson recounted how false leads have sent her rushing to hospitals and remote areas, only to discover there was no truth to the claims. “That only adds to my distress,” she admitted. Despite the obstacles and the number of days that have passed, Thompson clings to the hope that Jayden will be found alive.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Alligator Pond Police at 876-224-3113, the 119 Police Emergency number, or the nearest police station.
