A Laventille family’s hopes for a Christmas reunion were shattered when search teams recovered the body of 25-year-old MTS Security officer Jamal Brandon Jessop from a swampy area near the WASA facility at Beetham Gardens on December 22. The discovery concluded an intensive two-day search operation involving multiple law enforcement and rescue organizations.
Jessop, described as a muscular black male standing approximately six feet tall with a bald head and distinctive goatee, was reported missing by his mother Sherry-Ann Jessop on December 20. According to police reports, the young security officer had last been seen at the family home in Eastern Quarry, Laventille, where he shared lunch before departing unexpectedly—behavior his mother noted was highly uncharacteristic.
The search gained urgency when Sherry-Ann received disturbing information on December 21 suggesting her son had been fatally shot during an altercation in Beetham Gardens. The tipsters, whose identities she protected citing safety concerns, indicated the incident occurred between 2 am and 6 am, with Jessop’s body allegedly discarded in either the Sea Lots swamp or near the WASA pump station along the Beetham Highway.
Vallence Rambharat of the Hunters Search and Rescue Team coordinated with police to comb the challenging terrain, though initial efforts were suspended due to poor lighting and dense vegetation. The operation resumed at dawn on December 22 with support from the Police K9 Unit, Air Support, and multiple divisions, ultimately leading to the grim discovery beneath a bridge where spent shell casings were reportedly found nearby.
Social media footage captured the heartrending scene as Jessop’s mother and relatives gathered while recovery teams worked. The deceased, who had been receiving outpatient mental health treatment at St Ann’s Hospital, was identified by his chest tattoo bearing the surname “Jessop.”
The Anti-Kidnapping and Homicide Bureau has assumed investigation into the case. In separate but geographically proximate incidents, police are investigating another suspected homicide in Beetham Gardens where an unidentified African male was found shot execution-style, plus a shooting in Morvant that left a 21-year-old man wounded but stable at Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex.