Autopsy has confirmed that 69-year-old Viola Distin, whose mummified body was discovered in a Westmoreland home earlier this month, died of a heart attack, according to TVJ News. While her autopsy has ruled out foul play, the police continue to seek a pastor who is connected to the strange case surrounding her mummification.
The elderly woman’s mummified corpse was found on July 6 in the Old Hope district, Little London. Since the discovery, two women have been arrested for concealing her death for more than a year. The women, 54-year-old Gena Robinson and 49-year-old Lavern Wedderburn, were Distin’s carers, and they were reportedly being guided by a Jamaican clergyman based in the United States.
Distin had been found in a vulnerable state in 2023 and was taken in by the pair, ultimately falling critically ill and passing away in December. Robinson and Wedderburn have been charged with several offences, including conspiracy to conceal a corpse and perverting the course of justice.
Police have identified the pastor involved as Delroy Jones. Jones, who describes himself online as an apostolic messenger, has yet to respond directly to the charges or the authorities’ request to contact the police.
However, he has posted cryptic religious messages online. One Facebook post from December 2023 referenced resurrection in Little London, claiming it would be proof of his divine calling. Since the discovery, he has posted several statements hinting at spiritual vindication, saying, “Just wait. You’ll see who is of God and who’s of Satan.”
A man who claims to have known Jones from church years ago said their last WhatsApp conversation in December left him deeply disturbed. He recalled being shown a photo of a woman, later identified as Distin, and was warned by Jones that God would do something in Old Hope. The man believes Jones may have manipulated Robinson emotionally, possibly leveraging past help he had given her.