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© Jamacia ObserverOnlookers gather outside the crime scene where four-year-old Natasha Brown was dumped in a sinkhole in her Duanvale community after she was reportedly beheaded.
'Dat a wickedniss'

The Trelawny police have confirmed that a woman in her early 40s has confessed to Monday's murder of her estranged common-law husband's four-year-old daughter, who was beheaded and her body dumped in a sinkhole in Duanvale, ironically as the world celebrates Childs Month.

"She has admitted knowledge of it," a high-ranking police officer told the Observer West last night, refusing to give details.

The deceased has been identified as Natasha Brown, a student of the Duanvale Basic School.

The entire community was plunged into shock and anxiety later Monday after it was discovered that little Natasha did not report for school that day, even though she had left home for the institution.

The police who initiated an Ananda alert after they were summoned, subsequently - along with residents - launched a search in the deep rural community. It was later announced that a small human frame was spotted in a sinkhole, located in a rugged terrain in a section of the community called Faith Avenue, which is only accessible by foot.

Efforts were then made to fish the body from the sinkhole.

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© KENROY PRINGLEPolice and firefighters near the sinkhole in bushes where the body of four-year-old Natasha Brown was dumped in her Duanvale community after she was beheaded.
But the team, comprising fire fighters, the police and residents, later abandoned the mission and returned yesterday morning about 8:30. About an hour later, the dismembered body was retrieved, with the assistance of community member, Marvin Grossett, who snaked his way down the hole, estimated to be about 25 feet deep.

Grosset who recounted his adventure to members of the media, noted that after he reached the bottom of the hole he saw the infant's head beside a black plastic garbage bag in which the child's torso was concealed. He said he placed the head into the bag and worked his way out of the hole.

Armed with the bag with the body, he was greeted with loud cheers from community members who lined up outside the police tape which cordoned off the area. Some of the curious onlookers stood on the roofs of buildings overlooking the crime scene, while others thronged the streets.

But, while Grosset was greeted as a hero, the community members on the other hand, branded the suspect as a villain.

There was much anger directed at her from the large gathering of irate residents who lined the streets outside the area cordoned off by the police.

Among the disgruntled members of the community who directed venom at the woman in custody was Natasha's distraught father, Ewan Brown, who disclosed that he and the suspect had broken up about four months ago, after a relationship spanning 16 years.

Four years ago, Natasha was born out of a relationship with another woman in the community.

He admitted there was not much love lost between the two women but he didn't expect that it would have resulted in Natasha's gruesome murder.

"If a problem was there - nobody don't want to die - but it would be better if she had attacked whether me or her (Natasha's) mother who can defend ourselves. But when you go tek the pickney and murder her, that a wickedniss," he said.

"Me know say shi (estranged lover) is a serious woman, but we naw look fi that.

Other members of the community who were in a state of militancy, demanded blood.

"Carry her (the suspect) come give wi, and mek wi tie her up on light post and beat her," said a woman.

Another man stated: "Police come too quick. Them should allow wi with her mek wi put her in a tyre and light her."

Community members claimed that the suspect was seen holding Natasha's hand when she was on her way to school about 8:30 Monday morning.

"She trailed the pickney and kidnapped her while she was walking in a track in the community," one man theorised.

Another member of the crowd said that the suspect who was seen carrying a garbage bag late Monday, declared that she was carrying a pig in the bag.

Residents also alleged that on Monday, the accused woman asked a butcher in the community how he felt when he slaughtered a pig.

Yesterday, Natasha's mother was unavailable for a comment, but her maternal grandmother, Marlene Shaw, expressed shock and disbelief at the gruesome act.

"After me come back from hospital yesterday evening (Monday) by me reach in one bus me get the call say them take her away. All now me can't believe," said the grieving grandmother.