Kerr SINCE JUNE 20, the lives of Donald and Beverly Kerr have been turned upside down and it has been sheer hell, since their daughter, Alecia, disappeared after leaving home for school earlier that day.
The wait to find out what has become of their daughter's fate has become unbearable.
"I am trying to cope with it but it's really hard," said Mr. Kerr, shaking his head from side to side, as he
tries to find words to describe his feelings.
"Her mother is not taking it too good. I have to try and help her cope because she cries regularly," said the father of two.
According to Mr Kerr, his daughter left for school and has not been seen since. "Nobody knows anything. There is no information from her friends that could help, the police, nothing," said the soft-spoken father.
Mr. Kerr acknowledged that she went missing for a week once, while staying with a friend. "But this is different, it's nearly two months now and all her belongings are at home."
According to the Constabulary Communication Network, Alecia, a student of Queens High School was last seen at home about 6:00 a.m. on June 20. She was wearing her school uniform, gray tunic, white blouse, red tie, white socks and black shoes. She is said to visit the Lawrence Tavern and Constant Spring area frequently.
Alecia, whose last known address was Tom's River, Florence Hill, St. Andrew, went missing three weeks before her 16th birthday.
Her father, describing her as a "loving person who can be miserable at times", is pleading to anyone who might know of her whereabouts to contact him at 883-7672 or her aunt Bernice Hardy at
942-6725.
Although very optimistic and trying to be calm, the obvious hurt in Mr. Kerr's eyes tells a different story one of fear and hopelessness.
With the number of persons missing continuing to grow, the police high command has created a special unit in Spanish Town to respond to missing persons case, before the normal 24 hour to start investigating.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police, Sidney Henriques, a special team of highly trained detectives would be given the task to probe immediately the disappearance of persons, instead of allowing the 24 hours to elapse.
The police said also they would be doing follow-ups with relatives of persons missing to keep them abreast of the progress being made.
However, according to Mr. Kerr no contact has been made with him since he reported the matter to the police in June.
