Family of 12-Year-Old Mercedez Layne Rejects Claims That Police Failed To Act Quickly
The family of 12-year-old Mercedez Layne is rejecting claims that Police failed to act quickly following her disappearance on Saturday 6th June, 2026, insisting that Officers devoted significant resources, time, and effort to the search from the very beginning. Mercedez was tragically found murdered the next day, on Sunday 7th June, 2026.
In a statement issued today (Thursday 11th June, 2026), the family said the following:
“As we continue to mourn the heartbreaking loss of our beloved Mercedez Layne, we feel it is important to publicly acknowledge and thank the many people who stood with us during the darkest hours of our lives.
On Saturday June 6, 2026, shortly after it was discovered that that Mercedez was missing, a report was made to the Erin Police Station. Minutes later, a call was also placed to ASP Anil Maraj of the Region Three Homicide Bureau of Investigations.
What happened next is something we believe the public should know.
Within a short space of time, Officers from several specialized units, including the Region Three Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Special Investigations Unit, South Western Division, Cyber Crime and Social Media Unit, CCTV Retrieval Unit and others, descended on Erin and surrounding areas and immediately began searching for our Mercedez.
From our direct interaction with the Police, we can say that this matter was treated seriously from the very beginning. They did not dismiss Mercedez as just another child who had run away from home. They treated her disappearance as urgent and acted accordingly.
Many people may not have seen what was taking place behind the scenes, but we did and we knew.
The Police worked tirelessly throughout Saturday night and into Sunday morning. They followed every lead.
They checked every report.
There were claims that Mercedez had been seen in Siparia and other locations, and Officers investigated those leads. They gathered evidence, reviewed information and pursued every avenue available to them.
While there are many details we cannot discuss publicly, we can say that investigatiors moved quickly and professionally. They identified persons of interest, gathered critical evidence and worked quietly and diligently while racing against time in the hope of finding our Mercedez alive.
The Officers involved kept us informed throughout the process.
They shared what they could, remained in contact with us and never gave us the impression that our Mercedez’s case was not a priority.
Long before Mercedez’s body was found and before we received the devastating news, we were already aware of the significant progress investigators had made. Their early actions and ability to gather information quickly gave them a crucial head start in this investigation.
The Homicide Bureau did not wait for a body to be found before getting involved. They treated this as a serious matter from the outset and worked with urgency from the moment they (ASP Maraj) were contacted.
We know that some villagers and members of the public felt that the Police were not doing enough. We respectfully disagree. From our perspective, having witnessed the efforts first-hand, we know the amount of time, energy, resources and determination that went into trying to locate Mercedez.
In our view, the response by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service in this case represented the very meaning of their motto: ‘To Protect and Serve with Pride.’
We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to ASP Anil Maraj, who immediately took action from the moment he received the call and helped drive the investigation forward.
We also wish to thank MP Clyde Elder, Councillor Arlene Ramdeo, the Officers of the Homicide Bureau and all the Police units involved in this investigation.
Special thanks must also go to lan Alleyne, the Hunter Search and Rescue Team led by Captain Vallence Rambharat, the Hunters Search and Rescue Team led by Shamsudeen Ayube, the villagers who searched relentlessly, volunteers from across the country and everyone who offered assistance in any way.
We also wish to express our sincere gratitude to Ideal Funeral Home for the compassion, professionalism, care and support shown to our family during this unimaginably difficult time. Your kindness and guidance have helped ease some of the burden we have carried since the loss of our beloved Mercedez, and for that we will always be grateful.
To all those we may have omitted to mention, we thank you and we appreciate all that you’ve done.
As this matter now moves before the Courts, we wish to state that we have confidence in the justice system and in the manner in which this investigation was handled from the very beginning by the Homicide Bureau of Investigations and the other units involved. We now await the judicial process and trust that justice will be served for our Mercedez.
While nothing can ever bring our precious Mercedez back, we remain hopeful that accountability will follow for the innocent life that was taken from us far too soon and in such a violent and heartbreaking manner.
To the people of Trinidad and Tobago and around the world, thank you for your prayers, your messages, your support and your hope during those difficult hours.
Nothing can ever bring our Mercedez back. The pain of losing her will stay with us forever. But we take comfort in knowing that so many people cared, so many people searched and so many people fought alongside us to bring her home.
Mercedez was loved beyond words and will be missed beyond measure. Her smile, her innocence and her beautiful spirit will remain with us for the rest of our lives.”
A 26-year-old man of Dickie Trace, Beach Road, Palo Seco, is currently in Police custody and will face charges for the murder of Mercedez.
More on this as it becomes available.
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