PORTLAND, Jamaica — In a tragic development that has shaken the small community of Portland, remains widely suspected to be those of 12-year-old missing local girl Christal McLean were recovered from the Rio Grande at Grants Level on Wednesday. The body was found in an advanced state of decomposition, leaving community members on edge as authorities work to confirm key details of the case.
McLean, who lived in the quiet neighborhood of Berrydale in Portland, was first registered as a missing person by authorities on Friday, June 12. After two full days of intensive search operations failed to turn up any trace of the child, Portland police took the step of issuing a public high alert on Monday, urging community members to come forward with any information that could help locate her.
According to official investigative records, the last confirmed sighting of McLean placed her at her own home around 7:00 a.m. on the day she disappeared, before she was noticed missing and reported to authorities.
The grim discovery unfolded just after midday on Wednesday, when a group of recreational rafters navigating the Rio Grande accidentally came across the remains. The rafters immediately contacted local law enforcement to report their find, and officers responded quickly to secure the scene. Investigators have confirmed that the remains were already in a far-advanced state of decomposition when they were recovered.
Local residents who gathered at the site after police arrived shared additional observations about the scene: the body’s head was submerged under the river’s water, and a discarded bag was found a short distance from the remains. Inside that bag, residents reported, were clothing items believed to belong to McLean, as well as a collection of school books.
McLean was a student who had previously attended Boundbrook Primary School and was currently enrolled at Port Antonio High School, which serves the Portland region.
At this stage of the investigation, the Portland Police Department has not confirmed the identity of the remains or the cause of death. Both key details will be determined once a full forensic autopsy is completed, and law enforcement says they are currently awaiting the autopsy results to move the investigation forward.