A new development has emerged in the high-profile investigation into the death of 16-year-old Jerbiah Paul, as a suspect held in Antigua and Barbuda has been extradited back to Dominica to face criminal charges. Jolie-Ana Naomi James, a resident of Lagoon, Portsmouth, is the latest individual to be arrested and charged in connection with the teen’s death, bringing the total number of accused persons in the case to five.
Authorities confirmed that James faces two distinct criminal counts: perverting the course of justice, and illegal possession of ammunition without a valid government-issued license. In a statement shared with local media, Police spokesman Fixton Henderson confirmed that the accused is scheduled to make her first court appearance before a Dominican judge on the same day the extradition was finalized.
The case dates back to late July, when Jerbiah Paul was first reported missing to Dominican law enforcement by family members. Almost three weeks later, on August 12, search teams recovered human remains in the Capuchin area of Dominica that investigators have tentatively identified as belonging to the missing 16-year-old.
James is not the first to be charged in connection with Paul’s death. Two sitting Dominican police officers, Joshua Hamlet and Jean-Luc Langlais, have already been arrested and charged with the murder of the teen. A third civilian suspect, Rennick Stevens, is facing the same charge of perverting the course of justice that James now faces. The fifth accused, 21-year-old Nyoka James of Marigot, has already been ordered held in prison on remand as the investigation progresses.
Dominican law enforcement officials confirmed that the inquiry into Paul’s death remains active and ongoing, with investigators continuing to collect evidence and interview witnesses to build a full picture of the circumstances surrounding the teen’s death and disappearance.