Toni-ann Thomas - file photo

After six months of attempting to hunt for child killers, today THE STAR ends its series geared towards informing the public about the unsolved murders. A reward totalling $100,000 was being offered for the arrest and charge of person or persons responsible for the death of our children.

We are still encouraging the public however to call Crime Stop toll-free at 311 if they have information regarding any of the crimes mentioned on this page. Full confidentiality will be maintained.

Today is the final day in THE STAR Hunt for Child Killers' Campaign and it was not in vain as THE STAR reaped some success .

The six-month-long project was geared towards solving the murders of nine children who were killed between June 2004 and December 2005. Under the campaign, THE STAR offered a $100,000 reward for the capture of the killer(s) for each of the murders.

The campaign featured Jo-vaughn Williams who was killed in June 2004, Shanika Anderson, who was found dead on May 1, last year in an open lot behind Manley Meadows in East Kingston and Toni-Ann Thomas who was murdered in June last year when gunmen sprayed her Yorke Avenue community with bullets. In July, Nicholas Baker was shot dead in the Chinese Cemetery after he was given a gun to hide but used it to kill a 14-year-old girl a few hours before.

Also featured were Sheneca Shakes and Shauna-Kaye Legister who were found raped and murdered in a cane field in Townhead, Westmoreland in June last year. In addition, the murder of Sasha-Kaye Brown who was killed along with an aunt and her grand parents along Maxfield Avenue in October last year. Later that month, Maurice Maxwell, a student of Innswood High was killed as he sat on his verandah and Oksana Douglas who was killed during a drive-by shooting in the Olympic Gardens in December.

THE STAR reaped some success when a suspect in one of the murders, that of Oksana Douglas was arrested. In August, Oniel Hammond otherwise called 'Golas' was held in connection with the murder of Oksana Douglas during a police road block. He was arrested and charged a week later. That matter is still before the courts.

To date, there have also been calls concerning some of the other cases, including that of Shanika Anderson who was raped and murdered last year.

The St. Andrew South police who are investigating three of the unsolved murders said it was because of the campaign that a suspect in the murder of Oksana Douglas was held.

"It was because of the information that was provided why we were able to solve Oksana's murder and hold the accused," said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Oswald Ayres.

"We received information that he would be moving that morning and so we waited to hold him. It is actions like this that we need from citizens to help us to clear up some of the murders in our division," DSP Oswald Ayres of the St. Andrew South Division.

Apart from highlighting the unsolved murders, THE STAR also featured the solved killings of children and the trauma their relatives faced. A forum was also held in an effort for mothers of murdered children to share their experiences.

Sophia Thompson, the mother of Toni-Ann who was featured in the campaign said that the campaign, "... was good because I got a call from the police saying they had some leads into the death, but I haven't heard anything else since I got the call two months ago."

Although the campaign comes to an end today, the murders will be featured from time to time in the upcoming months if there are developments in the cases or if arrests are made.