Prudence Griffiths’ search for her missing 8-year-old autistic son ended tragically on Tuesday when the mother and a group of women discovered his body in the back of a car in their community of Gregory Park, Portmore, St Catherine.
Griffiths’s son, Navardo Blackburn, went missing last week on Friday. Blackburn and four of his other siblings were left in the care of their grandmother, Ivy Walcot. However, Walcot briefly left the home to collect food from a fish fry, leaving Blackburn and two of his younger siblings with their 15-year-old sister.
Upon Walcot’s return, she realised that the teen had fallen asleep and the three younger children had left the house. She eventually found all three at a nearby playfield, but Blackburn ran away into Melvin Avenue when he saw her.
He was later reported missing, and a search was launched, with family, concerned residents, and the police looking for the minor. Yesterday evening, Griffiths and the group of women she was searching with were just about to head home when they decided to search the area where Blackburn was last seen once again.
The women noticed that an old, abandoned car in the community was swarmed with flies, and there was also an unbearable stench coming from the vehicle. According to reports, the mother was instantly overcome by grief.
The police later opened the trunk, revealing a body that was partially covered by cardboard and a few crates. In a video recorded at the scene, a female officer can be seen telling residents not to create a scene at the vehicle as they were overcome by the smell from the car.
The officer initially told Griffiths that the body was that of an adult male, and the mother was temporarily relieved. However, her hopes that she could still find her son quickly disappeared when the boy’s uncle identified the body.
According to the Jamaica Star, Griffiths was once again overcome by emotion and began grieving the loss of her son.
“Woii, is mi son, weh mi ago do now? Is mi baby in the car. Is the flies we see and decide to stop and call the police. Mi poor baby,” Griffiths said.
Following the discovery of the boy’s body, residents of the community have expressed doubt that he was accidentally locked in the car.
“This little boy don’t go road eno and there is no way him would open the car and go in there go lay down. From Sunday mi a smell something but we think is a dog. Him wouldn’t go in the car go dead because autistic or not, him would start cry or beat the window. Furthermore the car parked in front of a gate so there is no way him would go in there and no one knows. All of this sad and crazy,” a resident told the Jamaica Star.
Crime scene investigators can be seen in footage recorded at the scene seemingly dusting the car for fingerprints. The minor’s death is currently being investigated by the police.
