Rushawn Patterson, the man charged with the October 2022 murder of popular Jamaican social media influencer Aneika ‘Slickianna’ Townsend, had his bail extended during his appearance in the St James Circuit Court on Monday.
The case, which has been delayed due to outstanding post-mortem and DNA reports, is set to be mentioned again on October 18.
Patterson, who suffers from haemophilia, a blood disorder, was initially granted bail on humanitarian grounds during a previous court sitting on July 16. He is represented by attorney Dionne Meyler.
During Monday’s proceedings, High Court Justice Bertram Morrison was informed that the prosecution is still awaiting critical reports to complete its case file. The outstanding post-mortem and DNA reports have delayed the setting of a trial date. Justice Morrison extended the bail and scheduled the next hearing for October 18, allowing time for the case file to be finalized.
Patterson was arrested on November 2, 2022, following a high-level police operation. Townsend’s body was found floating in the sea in Reading, St James, on October 21, 2022. A post-mortem conducted on November 5 confirmed that Townsend had been strangled, with her death occurring between 11 p.m. on October 20 and 9 a.m. on October 21.
According to police reports, Townsend had traveled from Kingston to Montego Bay on October 20 and was picked up by Patterson. The two visited a restaurant in Hanover and a guest house in St James. An argument reportedly broke out between them later that night, resulting in Patterson allegedly strangling Townsend and disposing of her body. He was formally charged with her murder on November 11, 2022.
