Rushawn Patterson, the man accused of murdering social media influencer Aneka ‘Slickianna’ Townsend last October, was denied bail yesterday in St James Circuit Court.
Patterson was denied bail despite an application by his attorney, Dionne Meyler-Barrett, who stated that her client required medical attention and that the prosecution’s case against him was circumstantial. The ruling was issued by presiding High Court Justice Andrea Thomas.
According to Meyler-Barrett Patterson’s safety would be jeopardized while in remand and he would not be a flight risk.
However, in explaining her objection to grant bail, Thomas referenced the prosecution’s allegations that Patterson had allegedly given conflicting information to police about Townsend’s whereabouts prior to her body being discovered floating in the sea in Reading, St James on October 21, 2022.
Patterson is also currently on remand in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court for an unrelated case of assault against another woman stemming from an alleged incident in 2018, according to the prosecution.
Justice Andrea Thomas stated, “The allegations of the Crown are serious enough and sufficient enough to form the view that, if granted bail, the accused man will not return.At this time, bail is denied.”
Patterson is set to return to court on September 21.
According to police, Townsend traveled from Kingston to Montego Bay, where she was picked up by Patterson around 7:30 p.m. on October 20. They spent the evening at a restaurant in Hanover and a guest house in St James.
Reports indicate that the two of them got into a heated argument at some point throughout the night. Patterson is suspected of killing Townsend by strangling her and then getting rid of her body.
On October 22nd, Patterson was identified as a person of interest in the investigation.
After missing at least two different deadlines to turn himself in, he was finally apprehended by an operations unit from Police Area One on November 2 while he was staying at a guest house in Hanover.
