The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

THE father of a 17-year-old boy who went missing says he is “doing terribly” after a male’s body was discovered in the Carmichael Road area on Sunday.

Police reported a badly decomposed body of a male was found after 4pm in bushes at the rear of a residence on East Avenue off Carmichael Road. Police could not say if it was the body of 17-year-old Lavard McKenzie.

When his father Lavard Mckenzie Sr, 48, spoke to The Tribune yesterday morning, he was at CDU getting ready to go to the hospital to hopefully identify the body. Nonetheless, he was sure it was his son.

However, the authorities decided a visual identification of the body would not be appropriate and now Mr Mckenzie has to wait for the results of a DNA test to determine if the body is that of his son.

Last Friday, police issued a missing person bulletin for the teen of Millers Heights off Carmichael Road. The poster said he was last seen Thursday August 27 at 10 am at his residence.

Mr McKenzie Sr explained his son lived with his mother, adding he was informed through her about the discovery of the body. He recalled when the boy went missing Thursday afternoon.

“Everybody had already left home,” he said. “He was the only one home at the time. The guys them came, knock on the door.... He went with them. He knew them.”

Mr McKenzie Sr said his son was not troublesome and never bothered anybody nor had problems in school. However, his father admitted he began to keep company with the “wrong people”.

“He just started keeping company with some guys in the area. One of the same guys too.”

He described his son as “intelligent” with “many talents”.

“My son can drive trailers and dump trucks from when he was eight or nine,” Mr McKenzie Sr said.

“That’s my job, operating machines and driving big trucks. I taught him from a very young age to do the same.”

The teen was a senior in high school. Mr McKenzie said the two had a bond which began when the boy was young.

“From he (was) born, his mummy never come out of bed, change Pampers ...to make a bottle - none of that. That was my (job),” he added. “Everywhere I go from he (was) born I had him strap on my back on my bike.... Everyone who know me in Nassau (could tell you) everywhere I go my son used to go (sic).”

Police investigations are ongoing.