Two painful years without Chantae Skyers - Father says it’s like a recurring nightmare

April 01, 2021
Fabian Skyers points to the area where his daughter’s body was found. He said that he doesn’t walk in that area as often as he used to since her murder.
Fabian Skyers points to the area where his daughter’s body was found. He said that he doesn’t walk in that area as often as he used to since her murder.
Residents of Sterling Castle Heights said that everything has changed since the gruesome incident.
Residents of Sterling Castle Heights said that everything has changed since the gruesome incident.
Fabian Skyers has tattooed his daughter’s name across his chest.
Fabian Skyers has tattooed his daughter’s name across his chest.
One of Fabian’s biggest concerns is the possibility of his daughter’s killer still roaming their quiet community.
One of Fabian’s biggest concerns is the possibility of his daughter’s killer still roaming their quiet community.
Chantae Skyers
Chantae Skyers
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On Tuesday, Fabian Skyers sat with his friends chatting and laughing a short distance away from his house in Sterling Castle Heights, St Andrew. But this vibrant smile quickly gave way to sadness as our news team approached.

It has been nearly two years since his eight-year-old daughter, Chantae Skyers, was abducted and brutally murdered in her rural community. Her death sparked national outrage, but Fabian said that it fizzled soon after she was buried.

"This is the first time in a very long time that anyone has ever visit mi to talk about Chantae," Fabian said in a trembling voice as his eyes welled up with tears.

Chantae, a grade-three student at Red Hills Road Primary School, disappeared on April 11, 2019. She was last seen walking home from school through a lonely pathway. Her decomposing body was found in a ditch, in a section of the community known as Blue Hole, some five days later.

Fabian said that the last two years have been like a recurring nightmare. As a means of masking his pain, the 30-year-old said that he has been drinking and smoking excessively. He said that constant reports of missing children, some of whom are often found dead, also serve as a constant reminder of the awful events of 2019.

"It nuh easy, enuh. When mi walk the little track mi body feel different. Mi a big man and sometimes mi all feel 'fraid. Right now, mi have to be strong enuh, because what reach mi shoulda mad mi, God know. But mi have to be strong for mi other son. Sometimes mi think about mi daughter and mi get cross, so mi take smoking and drinking for it. Mi just have to give thanks fi mi family and friends who deh round mi because a dem make mi nuh mad out," Fabian said.

"Mi get a work as a security at a school and mi couldn't stay long because a lot of times mi see other children and a look if a she. Mi nah ever get over this. Mi would accept some counselling if mi could get it," he said. Rubbing his hand over the tattoo on his chest that bears his daughter's name, Fabian summoned the courage to walk to the spot where his daughter's decomposing body was found. It was difficult for him.

"The entire community, including myself, passed this particular area and we smelled a little stench but we thought it was a dead animal, and the next day the soliders dem find mi daughter at the same spot. All this time it was she I was smelling. Mi likkle baby probably would grow up to be a teacher because she would often play school with her dollies," Fabian lamented.

Chantae's death has rocked the small Red Hills community, and as such, the residents have become more vigilant.

"Right now, we don't trust any strangers at all. People start build up gates and padlock dem place from Chantae dead. Things change because we start look out for each other more. Right now, if someone new come about the place, expect to see the police next because we gonna call them to find out who that person is and why they are there," he said.

The police are yet to charge anyone with Chantae's murder and Fabian is not happy about that. Days after Chantae's body was found, a man was mobbed and killed by angry residents who believed he was responsible. Several persons were taken into custody and two of whom were charged. One of them is dancehall entertainer Quada. He has maintained his innocence.

"The police dem come and take away mi and mi babymother phone shortly after the youth was burned to death and put mi through a bag of questions. I need my phone because nothing incriminating is not on it. The police will come here and pick up random people and say dem involved in di burning of the man, but mi don't see dem a come and a pick up random people fi my baby killing," Fabian said. Similar sentiments were echoed by men in the community who charge that not enough is being done to find the culprits responsible for Chantae's killing.

"No one is saying anything about Chantae's death. People just a get pick up just like that," one man said.

One of Fabian's biggest concerns is the possibility of his daughter's killer still roaming their quiet community.

"Honestly, I don't even know because the person who kill Chantae could be walking and hailing us daily because no one was arrested, but mi nah guh stop 'til me get justice for my daughter, enuh. Same way we they didn't pay us mind at first when mi daughter go missing is the same way dem not paying us mind now," he said.

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