The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

MURDERED toddler Bella Walker’s body was removed from the morgue and taken to a funeral home without the consent of anyone who has legal custody of the remains, attorney Bjorn Ferguson said yesterday.

Mr Ferguson has written to Serenity Funeral Home & Cremation proprietor Michael Hepburn to demand Bella’s body be released to her maternal grandmother, Monalisa Walker.

“If we fail to hear from you by noon on Friday 26, November 2021, we will commence legal proceedings on behalf of Miss Monalisa Walker against your company in the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” he wrote.

Mr Hepburn declined to comment on the matter yesterday.

Bella, four, died after sustaining several injuries earlier this month. Her mother has since been charged with child cruelty while her boyfriend has been charged with murder.

Mr Ferguson said he has visited Bella’s mother and is representing her in relation to the custody of Bella’s body.

“The mother had sole custody of the child,” he said. “By virtue of the fact that she has been remanded, she has given that authority now to her mother to deal with these affairs and arrangements while this situation is going on with her.”

His letter, dated November 25, says: “On the 5th day of November, 2021, our client was advised of the death of her granddaughter, D’onya Bella Walker. Our client further advised us that she identified her granddaughter’s body at the Rand Lab as at the 8th day of November, 2021. Upon identifying the body, our client did not provide any instructions to the agents of the Rand Lab relative to release of the body or the burial of the deceased.

“We have been advised that Deno Alexander Smith Jr is the putative father of the deceased and is not so entitled to have control of the body of the deceased or to make any burial arrangements relative to the same.”

Mr Ferguson said Mr Smith never signed Bella’s birth register and that her mother had sole custody of Bella.

“He can’t just insert himself in this equation, the law doesn’t allow him,” he said.