Rumours distract police from real lines of enquiry

| 17/08/2011

(CNS): Following a surge in rumours yesterday (Monday 15 August) in connection with the disappearance of 25-year-old Kerran Baker, officers from the RCIPS are appealing to the public to stop fuelling the marl road, which they say distracts from the real investigation. After another day slipped by with no genuine sign of Kerran, who disappeared more than two weeks ago, the police officers, who are giving daily updates on the investigation, said that the circulating of rumours is distracting the investigators from following genuine lines of enquiry. DS Marlon Bodden asked people to refrain from making what can only be considered false and malicious reports.

Bodden said that officers had been fielding calls and others were forced to attend the scene at Barkers where claims had been made thata body had been found. He said that the false reports are hurtful to Kerran’s family and they also hinder the real investigation.

“We need the investigators to channel their efforts into the real lines of enquiry,” Bodden said as he appealed to the community to stop being consumed by the marl road. He said he had no idea how yesterday’s rumour got started, but that it reached significant levels even though there was no truth to the claims that Kerran had been found. Bodden said that no matter how untruthful a report may be, until officers can be sure there is no truth to a rumour they still have to go and check out these false reports.

Bodden said that the false rumours impede the process of the real investigation and individuals may have many reasons for attempting to fuel false reports and slow down the police enquiry.

The senior officer said Kerran had not been found and there were still no updates regarding the investigation other than the fact that officers were continuing with the existing lines of enquiry.

Bodden revealed that the police have more than 60 hours worth of CCTV footage that has to be scrutinized inch by inch and that it is a painstaking and challenging process . He said four police officers were rotating on a shift system to view the tape to make sure that nothing was missed.

Kerran Natale Baker, a Jamaican national also known as KerryAnn, has lived and worked in Cayman for the last two years. She was last seen on CCTV footage at Foster’s Supermarket near the airport at 7pm on 30 July. Kerran was reported missing to the police on Sunday 31 July after a friend had visited her apartment and found half unpacked groceries on the counter in her apartment in Bodden Town alongside her handbag.

Her white car was discovered parked at Pedro St James around noon on Monday 1 August and the keys were found in the bushes around fifty feet away the following day.

Anyone who may have information on the whereabouts of Kerran is asked to call any of the local police stations, the crime hotline 949 7777, Wilmot Anthony Kerran’s father 321 4271 or Crime Stoppers at 800(TIPS) 8477.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Having heard some of the rumors spread along the marl road it is amazing how much vile hatred exists within the society.

    It is the opposite of Christian.

  2. Dred says:

    Sadly enough this will end up on top of the pile of unsolved mysteries of Cayman.

    It's like looking at chickens with their heads cut off.

    • Anonymous says:

       

      Recent big crimes not solved, and NO single lead: disappearance of Anna, shooting of two innocent people, day time middle of the GT banks armed robberies, numerous business's armed robberies. Why are they getting paid?

      Meantime those that were caught and brought to "justice" are set free with "Not guilty verdicts"- thanks  to incompetent and sloppy "work" of the Police. 

      And finally those who got sentenced, ended up in a Northward resort. 

      Isn't it rather hysterical?

  3. Anonymous says:

    Dear 8:11

    I have read some ignorant comments on CNS before but for you to say the Police should be able to solve allcrime without the help of the public is the peak of stupidity. It is even more scary that there are two people out there that share your level of intelligence and have given you thumbs up – time to go back to school!

    • Dred says:

      Let me say this. The community can help police solve some crime. Police should use all resources available to solve crime. HOWEVER to rely on it to solve most if not all cases is stupid also.

      Many cases are solved of evidence and instinct of the police department. Sometimes asking teh right questions is just as important as what they can garter from a potential witness or someone with simply some information.

      What scares me is how much they rely on the public. They seem to have no answers outside of what they get from others. Maybe it's just my perception but it's what I am seeing from them.

      Right now we havefar too many cases unsolved. Of all the bank robberies that happened in the past two years have any been solved? How many times has reflections been hit? How many people caught? ZERO. How many others businesses have this same record? What about the shootings, any solved?

  4. Anonymous says:

    Local marl road gossip is easy to spread but those "friends" who don't feel like sharing the truth with people searching for Kerran should be ashamed of themselves. I want no "friends" like that in my life.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Stop appealing to the public and get on with it………police should be able to solve a crime (what ever nature it is) without the involvement of the public period!

    • Anonymous says:

      Your arrogance and obtuse stance is alarming! I guess you can be put in the 'friend' category.!

    • Anonymous says:

      08:11 which movie you watching on tv ? If you do even a modest amount of reading  you would look at life differently. The police cannot solve all crimes without assistance of the public. To think that that is the case is to display your shallow experience about an important area of public life. It also shows a measure of ignorance on your part.

  6. Anonymous says:

    How do one know if rumor is a rumor until it checked?

  7. Orville Powery says:

    I have to agree with DS Bodden as i know first hand how vicious and malicious rumors  have done to those that are grieving , but this is what some people are known for. Please people have some compassion and sympathy for the family, instead of spreading rumors, chanell that energy towards showing compassion and sympathy to the family. I for one will not get caught up in rumors as i feel this is not the right thing to do to this family at this time.