Sugar Ray Thomas
For one St Ann woman, the first day of the 2016/2017 academic
year is especially painful as her son, who has been missing since
July 28, was not among those students heading back to school.
Angelina Thorpe of Steer Town, St Ann is still holding on to
hope that her 14-year- old son, Rojay Kerrison Foster, will return
safely to her one day.
Rojay, who was expected to have gone on to grade nine at
Garvey Maceo High School in Clarendon, is the eldest of three
children for Ms Thorpe.
“To tell you the truth, I went to a point where I wanted to go
under a moving truck… It’s not easy when on Monday morning
(September 5), children going back to school and he (Rojay) is
not going out. It is very difficult,” Ms Thorpe said in an
interview with The Times.
Young Rojay was residing in Vernamfield, Clarendon in order
to attend school with family friends; a 19-year- old boy and his
mother.
Ms Thorpe explained that on July 28, the 19-year- old and his
mother took Rojay to May Pen and in the presence of the police
at the station there, they gave him money to travel to her mother
(Rojay’s grandmother) in Linstead, St Catherine.
His grandmother was then to take Rojay to his mother in Steer
Town, St Ann for the rest of the summer holidays.
However, Rojay, who was wearing a cut-off white jeans short
and a blue and white striped ‘T’-shirt, never made the journey to
his grandmother and has not been heard from or seen by any
family member.
STRANGE PHONE CALL ON FRIDAY
Ms Thorpe explained that on Friday, September 2, her mother
(Rojay’s grandmother) sent her a Whatsapp message that
indicated that the 19-year- old boy from Clarendon got a call on
that day (Friday) from Rojay.
Rojay had told him that he was “okay, but he didn’t say where
he is.”
Ms Thorpe explained that because she is out of work she has not
had the resources to go to Clarendon. However, she has made a
missing person’s report with the St Ann’s Bay police regarding
her son. She stated that she will be returning to the police with
the information that her son has allegedly made contact.
This is the only reported contact he had made with anyone since
his disappearance over a month ago.
FIRST TIME
“It’s the first time something like this happen,” Ms Thorpe said.
She went on to explain that she was close with Rojay, but she
had not been working for a while and was not able to send
money for him.
“Maybe he feels he was neglected,” she added.
She also said that her son, who grew up in St Catherine, was
friendly and she always encouraged him to concentrate on his
studies as this was the only way he would achieve his dream of
becoming a soldier.
Ms Thorpe also has two daughters; one residing in
Westmoreland with her father and the other lives in St Ann, also
with her father.
She indicated that her daughter in St Ann, who she sees on a
daily basis, is also saddened at Rojay’s disappearance.
“She ask me ‘is Rojay dead?’ But I keep telling her no, he isn’t
and he will soon come home,” Ms Thorpe said.
Though it is difficult, Ms Thorpe explained that she is holding
on to her faith and her belief in God. She has also been receiving
support from her pastor and a church sister, who both have been
praying for her.
She is appealing to anyone who knows the whereabouts of her
son, to contact the nearest police station with the information.
