‘The news shattered me’
Anisa Dilworth’s best friend speaks of their inseparable 16-year friendship
Published:Tuesday | May 20, 2025 | 12:09 AMRochelle Clayton/Staff Reporter
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WESTERN BUREAU: Akili Duncan’s world came crashing down on Saturday when she learnt that her 16-year friendship with Anisa Dilworth had come to an abrupt, devastating end. The childhood best friends, who first met at the DRB Grant Demonstration...
WESTERN BUREAU:
Akili Duncan’s world came crashing down on Saturday when she learnt that her 16-year friendship with Anisa Dilworth had come to an abrupt, devastating end. The childhood best friends, who first met at the DRB Grant Demonstration Basic School in St James at the age of four, had been inseparable as they grew up together.
Dilworth, a first-year pharmaceutical technology student at The University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech), went missing on May 6. Skeletal remains presumed to be hers were discovered last Saturday. The police said they were informed of the finding of human skeleton remains on a beach near Portmore, St Catherine, at 11:30 a.m., and went to investigate. Though definitive identification awaits the results of forensic analysis, investigators believe the bones belong to Dilworth based on evidence found at the scene.
The investigation into her disappearance is ongoing, with police pursuing several leads. A driver from the ride-sharing service inDrive has been detained for questioning.
Duncan, who is also a university student, told The Gleaner on Monday that she was heartbroken after getting Saturday’s update.
She revealed that she had spent the last two weeks hoping that her 20-year-old best friend would turn up alive, and that their plans to grow old together would come true.
“I found out that Anisa was missing through my mother; our families have always been close. As soon as I heard, I reached out to some of her friends from UTech, hoping we could get in touch with her somehow,” said Duncan. “I truly believed she would eventually call back and say her phone had died, and that’s why no one could reach her. I clung to that hope. I was not prepared for the possibility that she could be missing, and certainly not for the devastating reality that she was gone. The news shattered me. It’s still hard to process, and my heart aches with the weight of it all.”
Describing the past two weeks as “rough”, Duncan told The Gleaner that “there truly are no words to describe the depth of this feeling”.
“I was hoping and praying with everything in me that Anisa would be found alive. I never imagined I’d have to say goodbye so soon. She was a friend I thought I’d grow old with, someone I pictured building even more memories with as life went on,” she added.
A RARE FRIEND
The pair went to Howard Cooke Primary School in St James. However, after completing primary school, Duncan attended Montego Bay High School for Girls, and Dilworth went to Mount Alvernia High. They went on to attend separate universities, but their bond remained strong, Duncan said.
“We always stayed in touch, constantly supporting and cheering each other on. Anisa was one of those rare friends who felt more like family,” said Duncan.
The families of the girls also formed close bonds because of their relationship, allowing for the formation of numerous childhood memories.
Dilworth is being remembered as a devoted friend who sincerely cared about those she loved. Though heartbroken by her best friend’s tragic demise, Duncan told The Gleaner that she is grateful for the many holidays they spent together as children. She said Dilworth was the kind of friend who poured positivity and encouragement into everything that life threw at them.
“I remember Anisa as a loyal and fierce friend, someone who would always look out for you, have your back, and offer support whenever she could,” continued Duncan. “During summers and holidays, we’d always meet up and head to the beach, creating memories I’ll cherish forever. We had countless sleepovers, each one filled with laughter and late-night talks.
“When it was time for GSAT, Anisa would come over to my house to study; and during CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate exams), we supported each other just the same. We pushed one another to do our best because we genuinely wanted to see each other thrive. That’s just who Anisa was – a true friend, a source of strength, and someone who believed in the success of those she loved,” Duncan added.
“Every time I look at our photos together, the tears come. Each picture holds a moment, a laugh, a shared joy, and now, a painful reminder of what was and what could have been. Losing her has left a hole in my heart that words alone can’t fill,” she said.