Jamaica: Pregnant female found murdered identified as 16-year-old Jadene Gayle

Jamaica: The young 6-month pregnant female who was found dead wrapped in a blue trapline has been identified as a 16-year-old Jadene Gayle of St Andrews. The body was identified by her mother from the photographs that the police clicked from the crime scene.  

Reportedly, officials already took a man in custody on Tuesday, who was reportedly in –relationship with the teenager. The man, in his late 30s is a bus driver who was captured during a search operation at Sligo, St Andrew. 

The communities are in utter shock, following the pregnant teenager’s tragic murder. People are also questioning how a 16-year-old was living with a 39-year-old man, and was already pregnant.  

The victim’s mother has asked police to bring her daughter, also known as “Big Red” to justice.

Jadene Gayle Murder 

The victim Jadene Gayle was found in a brutal manner at the Devon Pen main road in St Mary on Sunday. She was found wearing a white coloured t-shirt with apparent signs of strangulation and multiple abrasions on her body.  

Police has also revealed the identity of the person of interest in this case who is a 39-year-old bus driver. He was the victim’s boyfriend and was arrested during a police operation on Tuesday at his residence on Sligo oin St Andrew.  

The victim, who was around six months pregnant, was last seen alive on Saturday by her neighbours and on Sunday. 

This incident marks the first reported murder in St Mary for 2025 and the investigation into the incident continues. Police are still trying to determine the exact cause of the brutal killing.  

With the identification of the victim being made, there has been a shockwave across the community with locals taking to Facebook to call for justice for the teenager. 

“Mighty God of Daniel, I have my 16 years old niece with me and I consider her my baby. I hope the law has no mercy on him,” wrote a user named Forbes Lewis. 

Another user said, “Her family, friends and community members knew that she was a 16 year old female and also knew that a 39 year old male was hanging around her and likely doing sexual things to her and did nothing about it. Her family, friends and community members should be blamed for what happened to her.”