By Merrick Andrews,
Staff Reporter
Nordia Madden
PERSONAL BELONGINGS which the Four Paths police said they found at a house in Trelawny belonging to 11-year-old Nordia Madden, who was allegedly kidnapped by a self-professed obeahman on May 11, have been their biggest lead in the case so far.
Ewart Grant, Deputy Superintendent of the Clarendon Police Division, said yesterday that the police team searched a house in Jackson Town, Trelawny, where it was confirmed by residents that Nordia and the abductor were seen last Tuesday.
Deputy Supt. Grant said the police searched the house on Thursday and found hairclips belonging to Nordia, a student of Pratville All-Age School in Manchester.
"The situation has not changed, but we got one strong lead and that was the search done in the parish last week Thursday," said Mr. Grant.
The police said that based on information they have received, they did not believe Nordia was hurt. However, they have so far failed to obtain any data on the alleged abductor, known only as Little David. "Right now our main focus is on finding her," Deputy Supt. Grant said.
The events leading to the kidnapping, it was reported, started with a visit to May Pen, Clarendon, by Icilda Madden, the grandmother of the victim on May 11. A man known as Little David approached the elder Madden near the May Pen market, read her palm and convinced her that obeah had been planted in her yard. He said that he could dig it up and render its effects on the Madden family harmless.
The woman and her granddaughter travelled with Little David to Pratville where he reportedly dug up an area in the yard and removed some buried substances.
Mrs. Madden and her granddaughter were further convinced to travel back to Clarendon with Little David where he said he would give the child a "bath" as protection against evil spirits.
The journey in Little David's white Nissan Sunny motor car, which has 'Blessed' written on both the front and rear windscreens, took them to a house on the Rock Road near Osbourne Store.
There it was further reported that Nordia received her promised bath and shortly after accompanied Little David to purchase food at Osbourne Store. That was the last Mrs. Madden, who was left at the house to wait, saw of them.
A man reported to be the owner of the property where the little girl was allegedly taken has been detained at the Four Paths Police Station in connection with the incident. The police have, however, declined to give any information about the detained man or about the alleged contact made by Nordia to her grandmother.
The police confirmed, however, that they questioned Nordia's grandmother at length over the weekend. Efforts by The Gleaner to contact Mrs. Madden by telephone yesterday were unsuccessful.
