{"id":13169,"date":"2018-03-06T20:32:13","date_gmt":"2018-03-07T00:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=13169"},"modified":"2018-03-06T20:32:13","modified_gmt":"2018-03-07T00:32:13","slug":"father-wants-closure-in-missing-soldier-case-demands-answers-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/father-wants-closure-in-missing-soldier-case-demands-answers-video\/","title":{"rendered":"Father wants closure in “missing” soldier case, demands answers (VIDEO)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It was all but confirmed that the\u00a0burnt body<\/u><\/a>\u00a0of a man found in the Yeptons area last August was that of soldier Ashon Martin of Bendals.<\/p>

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In January of this year, the family wrote to the Governor General, the Prime Minister, the Police Commissioner, the Minister responsible for the police MP Steadroy Benjamin, and the family\u2019s constituency representative MP Molwyn Joseph.<\/p>\n

To this date, the family has not gotten a response from any of the above.<\/p>

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On\u00a0August 18th<\/span>, there was an official coroner’s inquest to determine if the body could be identified. It was determined by the court that the body could not be identified.<\/p>

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Martin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The letter states that, \u201cit was decided at the inquest that the body would have to be identified using forensic evidence. As Antigua, unfortunately, does not have the capabilities to process forensic evidence, the evidence would have to be sent to Jamaica for processing. We were told that the identification process should take approximately two weeks. That was over 4 months ago!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ashon\u2019s father Wayne Martin describes the police\u2019s attention to closing his son\u2019s case by saying, \u201cevery now and then I would get a call from the police saying you know we have a little information\u2026 and then everything would just go back to sleep.\u201d<\/p>

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The elder Martin says that the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda is yet to receive the results from the DNA samples sent to Jamaica.<\/p>\n

Ashon\u2019s four-year-old daughter presently lives with her mother and still is unaware of her father\u2019s possible death.<\/p>

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\u201cI have my son\u2019s daughter looking after and let me tell you something that it\u2019s a hard thing when a child asks you \u2018where is daddy?\u2019 and you have to lie.\u201d<\/p>

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It is now 6 months and 23 days since the soldier\u2019s alleged death.<\/p>\n