MANDEVILLE, Jamaica — A community and workplace is in mourning this week after the brutal killing of 29-year-old Tanzanya Dunkley, an air conditioning technician killed last week at her Three Chains home, in an attack allegedly carried out by her 27-year-old boyfriend, serving Jamaica Defence Force member Damanice Tyrone Williamson.
On Friday, dozens of Dunkley’s loved ones and colleagues gathered outside the Manchester Parish Court for Williamson’s first scheduled court appearance, where presiding judge Anneil Coote-Guinness set next steps for the high-profile homicide case. The judge granted a request from the court clerk to order a full psychiatric evaluation of the defendant, following details from police reports that Williamson made unusual statements about his motive, including claiming he heard voices instructing him to attack Dunkley. Coote-Guinness also ordered routine fingerprint processing before remanding Williamson into custody, with his next case management hearing scheduled for May 20.
Irvin Sullivan, owner of the refrigeration and air conditioning repair business that employed Dunkley for eight years, spoke publicly outside the court to honor the legacy of his late employee. A visibly emotional Sullivan described Dunkley as an irreplaceable worker whose dedication far exceeded the expectations of her role. “She was an exceptional worker who didn’t just turn up for her pay. Whenever I paid that young lady I was satisfied that I paid for a day’s work, because she went beyond the call of duty. She worked as if she was a shareholder in the business, that is the kind of employee she was and she is irreplaceable, believe me,” Sullivan told reporters.
Court documents confirmed that Williamson was officially charged with Dunkley’s murder last weekend, after he confessed to the killing during what police say began as a verbal dispute between the couple. Law enforcement sources shared additional details of the confession with local media, explaining that the argument escalated when Dunkley announced she planned to leave Williamson. When he grabbed her phone to prevent her from leaving, the struggle that followed led to the fatal attack. According to the police account, Williamson told investigators an unknown voice ordered him to kill Dunkley, prompting him to grab a knife and slash her throat.
Immediately after the attack, Williamson walked to the Mandeville Police Station carrying a knife and asked responding officers to shoot and kill him, according to official accounts. Friday’s initial hearing also revealed that the full case file remains incomplete, with key documents including the official post-mortem report, forensic analysis results, and witness statements still pending. Defense attorney Norman Godfrey, representing Williamson, told the court he is waiting for full disclosure of all evidence and requested that a copy of the defendant’s caution statement be shared with his legal team as soon as possible. Both Williamson’s father and members of Dunkley’s inner circle were present in court for the preliminary hearing.