The murder suspect in the 2022 killing of Jamaican social media influencer Slickianna was fatally shot by the police. Rushawn Patterson was allegedly involved in a confrontation with the police Tuesday morning, according to the authorities. While the details have not yet been released, it was reported that the incident unfolded in Hanover around 5:40 a.m.
Patterson was out on bail because his bail had been extended. After the murder case was postponed, he was scheduled to appear in court on October 15. Prosecutors revealed earlier this month that the case file was incomplete when Patterson appeared in the St. James Circuit Court.
According to the Jamaica Observer, statements from a Justice of the Peace and an extraction report from the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Communication Forensics and Cybercrime Unit were outstanding. Locals have been displeased with the speed at which the case is being handled and have expressed displeasure that he was released on bail.
Slickianna, born Aneka Townsend, was murdered between 11:00 pm on October 20 and 9:00 am on October 21, 2022, based on an estimate from the post-mortem. The post-mortem also revealed that her cause of death was strangulation.
According to the authorities, the 35-year-old social media influencer left Kingston on October 20, 2022, and went to Montego Bay. In St. James, Patterson picked her up around 7:00 pm. The pair went to a restaurant in Hanover and a guest house in St. James. A dispute occurred while they were at the guest house, and she was strangled.
On October 21, her body was discovered floating in the sea in Reading St. James. News of her murder sparked nationwide outrage. Locals demanded justice for the social media influencer and condemned the alleged killer.
Following a high-level police operation Patterson was arrested on November 2, 2022. A few days after his arrest, a post-mortem examination revealed that Townsend was strangled. Patterson was subsequently charged with the murder on November 11.