Canadian woman on visit to Jamaican husband died from head injury – autopsy
CLARENDON, Jamaica – Visiting Canadian, Jaeda Pauline Whitehead, died from a blunt force injury to the head, a preliminary autopsy result has indicated.
Whitehead, a 28-year-old school board employee from Toronto, Ontario, died after she reportedly came to visit her husband at Shearers Heights in Portland Cottage, Clarendon to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
A post-mortem was done on the deceased on Monday.
Superintendent Carlos Russell, head of the Clarendon division, said blood and urine samples have been submitted for testing, and the police are awaiting the toxicology results.
READ: Family seeks answers after Canadian woman dies while visiting husband in Jamaica
Russell told OBSERVER ONLINE that the police are working with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution to determine the best way forward.
Whitehead reportedly arrived on the island about three weeks ago to visit and spend time with her husband, who is a fisherman.
Police said two Fridays ago, the two reportedly had a dispute which got physical.
It is alleged that a fan was thrown at the Canadian, and her head slammed into a wall. Whitehead reportedly left the home and went to stay at her friends’ house in the same community.
While there, her friends advised her to visit the hospital, however, Whitehead expressed that she did not wish to go and refused to report the incident to the police.
Police said, while at the house, Whitehead went to sleep sometime after 3 pm, and her friends observed that her head was swollen and tried to convince her to visit the doctor, but she refused.
Further reports indicate that around 5:30 pm, the friends returned home and discovered Whitehead lying in the same position they left her. They realised she was not moving and reported the matter to the Lionel Town Police Station.
The police responded and saw Whitehead’s lifeless body lying face down on a bed. She was clad in a white T-shirt and blue shorts jeans pants. Swelling was observed on the face and neck, and she had what appeared to be blood stains on her hand.
The body was transported to the Lionel Town Hospital, where it was confirmed dead.
Whitehead’s husband has been taken into police custody pending investigations.
