Leoda Bradshaw, 2 of 3 co-accused denied bail re murder of child, mom

Leoda Bradshaw, the US Navy petty officer who is charged in relation to the murder-for-hire plot that claimed the lives of 10-month-old Sarayah Paulwell and her mother, 27-year-old Toshyna Patterson, was denied bail, along two of her three co-accused, when they appeared in the Home Circuit Court in downtown Kingston on Friday.

Sarayah was a daughter of Member of Parliament (MP) for East Kingston and Port Royal, Phillip Paulwell.

Bradshaw, who described herself as Paulwell's wife, and with whom she shares a daughter, is accused of orchestrating the contract-styled killing of the mother and daughter.

Also charged with various offences relative to the overall crime are David Smith, the alleged triggerman; Bradshaw's cousin, Roland Balfour; and Bjorn Black.

Bradshaw, however, is the only accused facing two counts of capital murder in the matter.

A bail application was not made for Black on Friday.

In denying bail for the other three accused, High Court Judge, Justice Tara Carr, weighed several factors.

For Bradshaw, the judge said based on the statements, the US Navy petty officer would likely not surrender to the local police if she was granted bail, based on her having enough resources and connections in the United States.

Carr also pointed to the potential for the prosecution’s witnesses to be interfered with.

She made a similar finding relative to possible interference with witnesses and their family members by Smith and Balfour, if they were granted bail.

The case is set for a plea and case management hearing on April 3, 2025.

All of the accused were subsequently remanded in custody.

Little Sarayah and her mother were kidnapped from their Gilmour Drive, St Andrew home by individuals on September 9 last year, then taken to Stony Hill, also in St Andrew, before being driven to East Kingston, where they were shot and killed and their bodies were burnt.

Bradshaw is the alleged mastermind behind the murder-for-hire plot. The murder contract was reportedly for $500,000, and Bradshaw allegedly made a down payment of $100,000.

Her cousin, Balfour, a 30-year-old assistant graphic designer of a Kingston address, has been charged with two counts of conspiracy to murder, two counts of conspiracy to kidnapping, and misprison of felon.

According to the prosecution, Balfour allegedly scouted Black and Smith, as well as two now convicted men - Richard Brown and Roshane Miller - to execute Bradshaw’s alleged plan.

It is further alleged that Black provided the firearm that was used in the grisly killing, and he accompanied the other men to the crime scene.

Brown was the reported driver who transported little Sarayah and Patterson to the area in East Kingston where they were murdered.

Following their shooting and the sending of the photograph of their bodies to Bradshaw’s cell phone by Smith, allegedly on her request, the bodies were burnt.

In November of 2023, Brown and Miller confessed to their roles in the murder-for-hire plot.

Brown was sentenced to 30 years behind bars on each of two counts of murder. The sentences are to run concurrently, and he must serve 20 years before being eligible for parole consideration.

The other convict, Roshane Miller, received a sentence of seven years and 10 months in prison for two counts of accessory before the fact to murder, among other offences.

Black was arrested in December of 2023 re unrelated gun offences. He was subsequently charged with eight criminal offences on January 12, 2024 that are all relative to the double murder.

He is charged with two counts of murder, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of conspiracy to murder, and two counts of conspiracy to kidnap.

Smith was served with a death penalty notice in March of this year by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).