ST JAMES, Jamaica — The committal hearing for Shamoya Green, the woman accused of murdering her five-month-old daughter, has been postponed to September 30. This hearing is necessary to facilitate the transfer of her case to the St James Circuit Court.
Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton announced the new date during a session at the St James Parish Court on Thursday. The delay was attributed to the unavailability of an assessor’s report for a child witness who was reportedly present during the incident and is expected to provide testimony. This report is critical for determining the child’s readiness to testify.
During the previous court appearance on September 4, it was revealed through an updated medical report, dated July 22, 2024, that Green was deemed unfit to plead due to mental and physical health issues. The report indicated that she suffers from a seizure disorder coupled with psychosis linked to her condition.
Currently in custody at the South Camp Adult Correctional Centre in Kingston, Green is expected to appear in court virtually via Zoom for the upcoming hearing. Her mental health struggles were first apparent during her initial court appearance on March 6, 2024, when she reported hearing voices of her children and collapsed in the dock, necessitating medical intervention.
The tragic incident reportedly occurred on December 6, 2023, around 5:35 pm. At that time, Green was at home with her common-law husband and family members when she requested to discuss their relationship. After her partner declined to engage at that moment, Green became agitated and left the room, taking her baby to the rooftop. It is alleged that she threw her daughter into a concrete pit below.
Green was formally charged with murder on February 24. As the case continues to unfold, it raises significant concerns regarding mental health in the criminal justice system and the tragic circumstances surrounding the loss of a young life.
