DUNDEE PEN, Hanover — On hearing that the man charged with murder in the death of her daughter, Aneka “Slickianna” Townsend, had been shot dead by police Tuesday morning, Joy Smith and other members of her family journeyed to Dovecot Memorial Park in St Catherine where Townsend is buried.

“Justice and happiness,” Smith said, describing how she was feeling.

“Even though that cannot bring her back, but this is the next best thing. I don’t have to wonder if he is going to get away or what. I know that he is dead, because I did not want him to go to jail either. I never want him to go and eat taxpayers’ money,” argued Smith, who noted that 853 days since her daughter’s death she is still finding it hard to cope.

“If I got a million dollars, I would not feel how I am feeling now. I am so happy. There’s not a day that goes by when me nuh grieve for her,” added Smith who stated that, while she is still saddened by her daughter’s murder, she does not wish death on anyone.

The accused man, Rushawn Patterson, who police said had a long criminal history, was killed during an alleged confrontation with cops at his home in the community of Dundee Pen, Hanover.

According to Superintendent Andrew Nish, who is in charge of the Hanover police, they conducted an intelligence-led operation when, about 6:45 am, there was a confrontation between the police and Patterson. He was shot and taken to Noel Holmes Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police say a pistol was seized following the incident.

However, Patterson’s father, who did not wish to give his name, gave a different account of the shooting.

“The police came and ran up, and before the man even woke up they shot him. And then they wrapped him up and gone,” the father said, trying to hold back tears.

“These things cannot happen in the country. You have to have people to stand up. A man just comes into your house and shoots you and says it is a shoot-out,” he argued.

A resident of Dundee Pen, Randy Martin, said he heard explosions about 6:45 am.

“[I heard] about six of them. A little afterwards, I saw the police jeep pass, and had on siren with him [Patterson] in the back lay down,” stated Martin, who admitted that the incident left him terrified.

Patterson, who was on bail, was before the court for the October 2022 murder of Townsend, who was said to have been a popular social media influencer. He was scheduled to return to court on October 15.

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

According to the police, at some point during the night an argument developed between them. Patterson is accused of strangling Townsend and disposing of her body.

The following day Townsend’s scantily clad body was retrieved from the sea in Reading, St James.

On October 22 the police named Patterson a person of interest in the case. 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.

Since then the case has been plagued by delays for several reasons and on January 31, 2025, when Patterson last appeared in court, it was again delayed due to incomplete files.

On Tuesday, Townsend’s mother said she had found it difficult to cope with her daughter’s death and attend court.

“There is nothing that she could have done to him for him to take her life and then push her off in water for fish to eat her. And if I did not find her I would be a mad woman up to this day,” stated Smith, who revealed that she never knew Patterson nor heard her daughter speak of him.

On Tuesday, the security forces said Patterson had a history of assault, fraud, kidnapping, murder, rape, and wounding dating back to 2010.