Leoda Bradshaw, the US Navy petty officer charged with the abduction and murder of the 10-month-old daughter of Member of Parliament Phillip Paulwell and the child’s mother, allegedly paid men to commit the crimes.
The allegations were detailed in a press release issued by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) on Friday, after police revealed that 27-year-old Toshyna Patterson and her 10-month-old daughter Sarayah Paulwell were murdered and their bodies disposed of.
It is alleged that Bradshaw was in a relationship and shares a child with Paulwell, who she considered to be her spouse. A US resident, she allegedly arrived in Jamaica on September 6, and on the said day began conspiring the alleged kidnapping and murder plot with her cousin Roland Balfour, Richard Brown and Roshane Miller.
“During these conversations up to the 9th of September, 2023, there was an agreement made under the direction of Leoda Bradshaw for these men to kidnap and kill Toshyna Patterson and her 10-month-old daughter, Sarayah Paulwell who was the product of a relationship that Ms Patterson had had with Mr Phillip Paulwell. This plan also contained part payment (which had been made) of a certain amount of money by Leoda Bradshaw to the men for the successful execution of the plan,” the ODPP stated in the release.
It is further alleged that on September 9, Patterson and her 10-month-old daughter were taken from their home at Gilmore Drive in Kingston by Bradshaw in a tinted SUV. The mother and child were subsequently delivered to men, including two of Bradshaw’s co-conspirators in St Andrew.
Patterson and her daughter were said to be then forcibly taken to an area in East Kingston and murdered by the men who were armed with a firearm.
The ODPP said Bradshaw is charged with two counts of conspiracy to murder, two counts conspiracy to kidnapping, two counts of kidnapping, and two counts of capital murder.
Richard Brown, otherwise called “Richie”, of a Kingston address, has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to murder, two counts of conspiracy to kidnapping, two counts of kidnapping, and two counts of murder.
Roland Balfour, a 30-year-old assistant graphic designer of a Kingston address, has been charged with two counts of accessory before the fact to kidnapping, and two counts of accessory before the fact to murder.
Roshane miller, a 29-year-old air condition technician, has been charged with two counts of accessory before the fact to kidnapping, and two counts of accessory before the fact to murder.
The ODPP said the capital murder counts against Bradshaw are based on the allegations of a contract for hire arrangement where she allegedly paid persons a sum of money to kidnap and murder Toshyna Patterson and Sarayah Paulwell contrary to section (2)(1)(e)(i) of the Offences Against the Person Act.
Bradshaw and Balfour appeared in the Home Circuit Court on Friday by way of a Voluntary Bill of Indictment and are scheduled to return to the court on December 1, 2023 when their matters will be mentioned, the ODPP said.