Skeletal remains may be those of first missing boy

By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL

Freeport News Reporter

The skeletal remains found on Barbary Beach this week could possibly be the remains of 12-year-old Jake Grant, the first of five boys to have gone missing in Grand Bahama in 2003.

Although such reports have not confirmed by police, speculation persists that the remains could be that of Grant.

Yesterday during a press conference held at the Zion Baptist Church, Families for Justice president Glenroy Bethel said Grant's family is hopeful that they could finally have some closure in the matter by being able to lay Jake to rest.

"On Sunday, June 15 I received some information that they found some remains in the Barbary Beach area and it's not officially confirmed ...but we have a strong belief that it could be, possibly, Jake Grant," Bethel said.

Although the remains of the other four missing boys were later found in October 2003, some five months after their disappearance, Grant's body was never recovered.

Grant's mother, Bridget Grant, will voluntarily be giving her DNA to be tested to confirm whether or not the remains are those of her son, revealed Bethel.

"We are keeping our hopes up high for the results and we are going to be waiting patiently to find out if it's indeed Jake Grant, to bring some closure to her entire ordeal," he said.

An emotional Bridget Grant said when she heard the news about the remains being found, it made her feel both good and bad, since she was hopeful but still unsure as to the details.

"I still don't have the full details because no one hasn't come to me and told me that they found something that could be Jake, but in my heart I'm praying and asking God to let that be Jake so that I could get some closure," she said.

"For five years, I'm still wondering if Jake is dead or he's still alive because I haven't gotten no information at all to know what really happened to Jake."

Bridget said she has been unable to eat or sleep since Sunday, since the possibility that the remains might be Jake's has brought back horrifying memories of the time when he disappeared.

She said now that the other mothers of the missing boys have finally received the remains of their sons, they can have some sort of closure. She, however, is still left with unanswered questions.

"The other four mothers, they have closure and I thank God for them but it hurt me to know that Jake was the first one that gone missing, and I haven't heard nothing," she said.

"I need closure to get on with my life because it's still tearing me up inside wondering what happened to Jake."

If indeed the remains are found to be Jake's, Bridget said she would like "to see justice served for what I've gone through in the last five years."

© 2008 The Freeport News