The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THE MOTHER of Tyronne "TJ" Saunders, the young man who mysteriously died while in police custody over the weekend, said after viewing her son's body yesterday she is "more convinced than ever" that he did not die naturally.

Fighting back tears, Joann McKenzie became emotional recalling the events earlier in the day when she saw her only son wrapped in a plastic bag, dead in the morgue.

"It didn't look like him. It's like I didn't even know who it was. He was dark. My child was so bright. It looked like they choked the colour right out of him. They wouldn't even let my family see him. They told me only two people other than me and his father could see him," she said.

"It's like they were trying to hide something. He had clothes on and they had him wrapped in plastic. Everything was all covered up except his face.

"They wouldn't let me see the rest of his body. I still can't believe it, my boy is gone. My only son is gone."

Ms McKenzie said when she got to the morgue she was greeted by an Assistant Superintendent from the Central Detective Unit and two other women officers who questioned her about her son's health and what condition he was in the last time she saw him.

"They kept asking me if TJ was sick and stuff like that. Like they trying to blame his death on some illness. He was a healthy boy.

"From there, I went to see (Coroner) Linda Virgill. She still didn't tell me what happened to him.

"All Mrs Virgill said was she didn't do an autopsy yet and told me what I would have to do if I wanted an independent autopsy before she released the body to the funeral home of my choice," she said.

"She just briefed me on what to do from here. She said nothing about the investigation. That was it. No one is saying anything to me about what happened to TJ. They still aren't giving me any answers. No one is. The police keep saying they have to further investigate their officers. What more do they need to know? They know who arrest him, they know who was there. They are trying to cover this up."

Ms McKenzie said TJ's two-year-old son, Tyreek, asks for his father every day and although he is so young Ms McKenzie thinks he understands that his daddy is never coming back.

According to police, 22-year-old Tyrone was arrested near Bamboo Shack on Baillou Hill Road in connection with murder. He was found dead in a cell at the Central Detective Unit on Friday.

Coroner Linda Virgill is heading the investigation. She could not be reached for comment last night.

Minister of State for National Security Keith Bell confirmed an investigation is continuing into Tyrone's death, but would not say who the officers were or if charges were expected to be filed.

He said: "There is an ongoing investigation being conducted by the police. Whenever someone dies in custody there is always an inquiry and investigation. It is a very serious matter."