Former Jamaican Member of Parliament Jolyan Silvera has been charged with the murder of his wife Melissa, who was killed last year.
Detectives assigned to the Major Investigation Division (MID) charged the former St. Mary Western representative on Friday following a third round of questioning. Jolyan, 52, was taken into custody on Thursday afternoon.
It was previously reported that 42-year-old Melissa died in her sleep on November 10, 2023, at the couple’s residence in Stony Hill, St. Andrew. But the police later upgraded their probe to a murder investigation after her post-mortem examination revealed she was shot at least three times.
Head of the police’s crime and security portfolio, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Fitz Bailey, on Thursday, confirmed that the probe brought forth sufficient evidence for Jolyan to be brought in as a suspect.
Police had questioned Silvera on two previous occasions as part of the probe. At that time, Silvera’s attorney Peter Champagnie said his client was not being treated as a suspect.
Other charges to be laid
In a press conference on Friday, DCP Bailey said the investigation continues as the police believe that other charges will be laid against Silvera.
The Commanding Officer for the Major Investigation Division, Superintendent Richard Hilton, said that during the investigation, the team visited the crime scene at the couple’s home and observed things that were “not normal.”
“The room has been completely tiled. We have seen signs of a paint job, and we have seen signs where items of furniture have changed,” Hilton said.
On cover-up speculation
The major plot twist in the investigation regarding Melissa’s cause of death fueled speculation of a cover-up involving medical professionals.
But DCP Bailey ruled out a cover-up, saying that from his understanding, the role of a medical professional is simply to confirm that the person is dead, and not necessarily confirm a cause of death.
“I know the issue of cover-up is a public discussion but if the same police officer who went on the scene requested a post-mortem to be done, then in my own understanding and assessment of that, there is no inclination that there is a cover-up. The post-mortem is what is really used to reveal the cause of death,” Bailey said.
Read more: Former Jamaican MP Jolyan Silvera in police custody for wife’s murder
