‘Slickianna’ murder accused gets new bail hearing date

WESTERN BUREAU:

Several documents outstanding from the prosecution’s case file resulted in Thursday’s highly anticipated bail hearing for Rushawn Patterson, the man charged with the murder of 35-year-old social media influencer Aneika ‘Slickianna’ Townsend, being put off until March 9, 2023.

Patterson, 33, of a Hanover address, was charged in relation to Townsend’s death on November 11. Thursday was the first date for his bail hearing in the St James Circuit Court, following his previous appearance in the Circuit Court on November 23.

When Patterson’s case was mentioned before presiding High Court Justice Andrea Thomas in the St James Circuit Court, the court was told that the matter could not proceed as several documents were still outstanding from the case file.

The documents included a DNA comparison report, a forensic certificate regarding an examination of a motor vehicle said to belong to Patterson, a report on video footage from an express bus company, and an additional witness statement.

Justice Thomas subsequently set March 9, 2023 as the new hearing date and remanded Patterson who was present for the hearing, until that date.

UNRELATED CASE

Patterson, who is represented by attorney-at-law Michelle Thomas, is charged along with 47-year-old security guard Rohan Rose in relation to Townsend’s death. Rose is charged with misprision of a felony, which is when someone knows a felony has been committed but fails to inform the authorities.

Rose was offered bail in the sum of $500,000 when he last appeared in court on November 28. His matter will be mentioned before the court on March 6, 2023.

Townsend’s body was found floating in the sea in Reading, St James, on October 21. A post-mortem examination determined that she was strangled, with the death occurring some time between 11 p.m. on Thursday, October 20 and 9 a.m. on Friday, October 21.

According to police reports, Townsend had travelled from Kingston to Montego Bay on October 20 and was later picked up by Patterson, following which they visited a restaurant in Hanover and a guest house in St James. Some time during the night, an argument developed between the two, following which Townsend was strangled and her body disposed off.

It is further reported that Patterson allegedly spoke with Rose about the disposal of the body.

The police subsequently held Patterson during a high-level, intelligence-driven police operation on November 2. Rose was held at his workplace on November 4, where he gave a statement implicating Patterson, and seven days later Patterson was charged.

Patterson was also charged for an unrelated case of assault that occurred in the St Andrew South police division. That charge stemmed from an incident that occurred in 2018, where he was alleged to have physically assaulted a woman after a jealous rage.

That matter is currently before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

In addition, the police have said that investigations are underway to determine if Patterson was involved in other incidents similar to those for which he has been charged. As a result, detectives are appealing to the public for any information that may assist in the investigations.