Samples were taken from the remains of school teacher Kescia Branche and the individuals who were detained for questioning over her death, according to Crime Chief (ag) Paul Williams, who says they will be sent overseas for DNA testing.
“There is a procedure we have to follow when it comes to the testing and when that’s complete it will be sent,” Williams said, while noting that the samples has not yet left for testing. Branche, 22, a mother of one and a teacher at Richard Ishmael Secondary School, was found on November 5th along Cemetery Road, obliquely opposite the cemetery office, sometime around 5 am.
She succumbed to her injuries on November 7th in the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital.
A post-mortem examination revealed that she died as a result of brain haemorrhaging and blunt trauma to the brain.
Branche was seen leaving the Blue Martini nightclub on Upper Lamaha Street in Newtown on November 4 in the company of the two on-duty constables. After leaving the nightclub, the trio had ventured to a barbeque spot on Mandela Avenue.
From there, one of the constables said she left with a taxi.
The two police constables and Branche’s ex-partner were deemed “persons of interest” in her death and were held for questioning before being released.
A man who was allegedly seen with Branche in the nightclub and another who was accused of last being in contact with her based on phone records were also detained for questioning but were also released.
Meanwhile, Williams also confirmed that Mathew Munroe, the owner of the car, PMM 242, which was impounded during the probe, has not returned to the country as yet. Munroe left the country the day after Branche’s body was discovered. He had reportedly told the police that he had left the country to attend his niece’s 16th birthday and that he had nothing to do with Branche’s death. He had had indicated that he is willing to cooperate with the police in an effort to clear his name.
