The three-day search for missing schoolgirl Chantel Crump came to a devastating conclusion early Saturday morning when her body was discovered in bushes in the Weatherills area, triggering waves of grief and outrage across Antigua.
Investigators spent hours meticulously documenting the crime scene before the child’s distraught father arrived to make the heart-wrenching identification.
Onlookers reported hearing gasps of anguish as authorities removed her body in the pre-dawn darkness.
Chantel disappeared Wednesday afternoon after being picked up by a woman driving a Honda while on her way home from school. Witnesses reported seeing the 9-year-old wave to friends as the vehicle drove away—the last time she would be seen alive.
The woman who allegedly abducted Chantel remains in police custody as what began as a missing person case has now transformed into a murder investigation.
Authorities have not yet released details about how the child died or whether additional suspects are being sought.
The news has ignited fury across the island, with many citizens calling for swift and severe justice.
“No… I was hoping I didn’t see this just now. The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked,” one resident posted on social media. “The Lord says vengeance is mine, I will repay. Many want Jungle Justice. Deal with them severely, don’t let up.”
Another resident expressed similar sentiments: “Jungle justice…. they do not need to be in jail fu sit and eat.”
Law enforcement officials are expected to provide additional details as the investigation progresses.