Old Harbour man missing since April 13 found dead

May, a former customer service representative from Burke Road, Old Harbour, had been battling depression after losing his job during the COVID-19 pandemic. He was reported missing three days after leaving home. 

Police launched an investigation into his disappearance, while his family offered a $1 million reward for information leading to his safe return and hired a private investigator. 

Seven weeks after May was last seen, the family was notified of an unidentified body at Morgan’s Funeral Home that was scheduled for a pauper’s burial. Tragically, the body was confirmed to be May’s, ending the family’s agonizing search. 

Investigations revealed that May died on the night of April 13, the same day he disappeared. His body was found along the PJ Patterson Highway (formerly Highway 2000 East-West) near Old Harbour in what police believe was a hit-and-run accident. 

A doctor at Spanish Town Hospital pronounced him dead, after which his body was taken to Morgan’s Funeral Home, which handles unclaimed bodies under a government contract. Despite extensive searches, neither the police nor the family checked the funeral home earlier, delaying the identification. 

Dwight May, the deceased’s older brother, said the family is heartbroken but relieved to have closure. 

“A pure bawl dem a bawl mi elder,” he told Old Harbour News of the current situation within the family. “The old lady (their mother) every minute she a bawl. We just affi a watch har because she have high blood pressure.”

Funeral arrangements are pending as the family completes required paperwork after the body was formally released to them. 

ASP Romario Rankin, commander of the Old Harbour police subdivision, urged pedestrians to avoid crossing the highway, especially at night. 

“Before May’s discovery, we had two to three hit-and-run cases involving pedestrians in dark clothing, some still unidentified,” he said. “The state has had to conduct pauper’s burials in such cases. We urge people to use overhead bridges instead of risking their lives.”