The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

POLICE confirmed yesterday that the skeletal remains found in Andros over the weekend are that of an adult man, discovered along with “items related to a female”.

However, Assistant Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson said due to the state of decomposition police are unable to positively identify the remains. He was also careful not to speculate on whether the remains were those of missing immigration officer Sean Gardiner and his girlfriend, Tishka Braynen.

The bones, which were discovered in bushes in Central Andros, were found in close proximity of each other.

The couple was reported missing on November 25.

ACP Ferguson said the bodies were in the bushes for a “couple of weeks”, but police are awaiting the results of DNA tests to determine the cause of death as well as identities.

“The preliminary investigations determine what appeared to be remains from an adult male and items related to a female. That’s what I can say at the moment, but, of course, we have to do DNA to determine who the persons are,” he said.

“The remains are in the capital. We cannot say how the persons died, but once we get an examination by the pathologist – who is putting the bones back together – we will be able to report something, but I can say that one of the remains appears to be that of an adult male.”

Mr Gardiner, an Immigration officer, was recently assigned to the island by his Department in Nassau.

Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell yesterday expressed concern that one of the bodies may be that of Gardiner.

“The Royal Bahamas Police Force is unable to say definitively until there are DNA tests and other tests whether or not the bodies found are in fact the bodies of the two individuals who have gone missing. But in any event I wanted, on behalf of the department, to express our concern and our sorrow at the apparent death of one of our officers, who is still missing, and say how this has been a shocking experience for most of us and to say that regardless of whatever the circumstances are if you volunteer to be an immigration officer or any officer of the state of the Bahamas and you go and work in some area, this is not something you should lose your life over,” he said.

“Our country has become so immune to this that one finds it difficult to put into words the true reaction to this, but it is simply very sad and our thoughts are with the families at this time.”

Mr Mitchell said Mr Gardiner’s disappearance has not affected operations on the island, but it has affected the mindset of other immigration officers.

“It hasn’t been interrupted, but it has been affected in the sense that you have a person who is one of your officers, who has gone missing, it even affects the way people think at work because it’s a mystery as to why something like this would happen and, of course, one has to await the investigations to determine this.”

Investigations continue.