News
May 16 2026
Person of interest in killing of American woman surrenders to police
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Dane Watson
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Melissa Kerry Samnath
Thirty-one-year-old Dane Watson, who was named a person of interest in the murder of a United States citizen in St James, Jamaica, voluntarily surrendered to the St Mary police on Friday.
Watson had been on the run since April 29 in relation to the murder of 35-year-old Melissa Kerry Samnath of a New York address in the United States. He reportedly surrendered in the company of family members.
“We received information that Watson was willing to surrender, but was fearful about his safety,“ Anthony Wallace, Commanding Officer for the St Mary police division commented.
“Following coordination between the police and family members, Watson was safely escorted to the Gayle Police Station, where he was formally handed over to investigators without incident. We continue to encourage persons, who are wanted or listed as persons of interest to peacefully surrender to authorities and to cooperate with investigators,“ he added.
On April 29, 2026, Samnath was taken to the Cornwall Regional hospital in St James by Watson, who reportedly left the medical facility shortly after assisting her from a motor vehicle.
Hospital personnel later alerted the police after Samnath was pronounced dead.
The police say subsequent investigations led detectives to a premises in Norwood, St James, where evidence relevant to the investigation was recovered.
A post mortem examination conducted on May 6 determined that Samnath died as a result of multiple blunt force trauma to the head.
During the investigations, Watson, was named as a person of interest in the death of the US citizen.
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