media influencer Donna-Lee Donaldson outlined that he sent her money from overseas via MoneyGram and thought it unusual that she did not answer the message he sent to her afterwards, as she normally would. The father, Elwood Donaldson, who was a physician and surgeon living in Nassau, The Bahamas, died in 2024.

His statement was read in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston on Tuesday, during the murder trial of Constable Noel Maitland who had a relationship with Donaldson who was reported missing on July 13, 2022, two days after Maitland picked her up from her house in St Andrew. Closed-circuit television footage at the Chelsea Manor apartment complex where Maitland lived showed Donna-Lee arriving there but none showed when she left.

Prosecutors believe that she might have been killed inside the apartment between July 12 and 13. Maitland is facing trial for murder and also for preventing the lawful burial of a corpse. The statement her father gave was read in court by the director of complaints at Indecom, the fourth witness to give testimony in the trial which is in its second week.

In the statement the father explained that Donna-Lee is the last of his six children and that she lived with her mother, Sophia Lugg, in Kingston. “I am living in Nassau, Bahamas, and the last time I visited Jamaica was more than 10 years ago. On July 12, 2022 I saw a missed WhatsApp call about 1:05 pm from Donna-Lee,” the father said in the statement. “Donna-Lee then sent me a message on WhatsApp at 1:06 pm. After we spoke, she sent me a message with her correct address and spelling of her name, to send money. I wanted to send her through MoneyGram. The message with Donna-Lee’s correct way of spelling her name and address came in at 1:11 pm on July 12, 2022. “On July 12, 2022 I sent the money to Donna-Lee through MoneyGram and then sent a message to her telephone number on WhatsApp at 10:54 am [July 13, 2022],” Donaldson said, pointing out that he included the necessary details which were important for Donna-Lee to pick up the money. However, she never did. (Jamaica Observer)