ST JAMES, Jamaica — A January 31 mentioned date has been set for Rushawn Patterson, the man charged in connection with the October 2022 murder of social media influencer Aneika ‘Slickianna’ Townsend.

The new date was set when Paterson made an appearance in the St James Circuit Court on Thursday afternoon.

The court was told by the crown that while an outstanding postmortem report is now in hand, a DNA report remains outstanding.

As a result, the crown requested a January 31 date which was granted by Supreme Court Judge, Justice Bertram Morrison.

Justice Morrison also extended Patterson’s bail.

Senator Charles Sinclair sat on behalf of Patterson’s lawyer, Dionne Mayler Barrett who was absent.

The case was last delayed on October 18. All cases set for that date were called up unplanned a day earlier. It was on October 17 that today’s date was set.

Prior to that, the case was delayed due to the outstanding postmortem report of Slickianna and the DNA results on September 23.

Once the files are completed, a trial date is expected be set.

Townsend’s scantily clad body was retrieved from the sea in Reading, St James on October 21.

On November 11, the police had stated that Townsend travelled from Kingston to Montego Bay where she was picked up by Patterson at approximately 7:30 pm on October 20. During the evening, they visited a restaurant in Hanover and a guest house in St James.

At some point during the night, an argument reportedly developed between them. Patterson is accused of strangling Townsend and disposing of her body.

Patterson was named as a person of interest on October 22. He was picked up at a guest house in Hanover by a Police Area One operational team on November 2 after missing at least two deadlines to turn himself in.

— Anthony Lewis