Teen’s body found in fridge - Stepmother reveals she saw signs of trouble before child’s death

October 08, 2025
Shantina Sergeant
Shantina Sergeant

Juliet Unis has been haunted by the suspicion that 13-year-old Shantina Sergeant, her former stepdaughter, was in danger.

She said she tried to raise the alarm -- even went to the police -- but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Now, the Clarendon teen is dead. Her partially decomposed body was discovered inside a burnt-out refrigerator behind her home in Bailleston, a quiet rural community now gripped by horror and disbelief.

In addition to seeing things that made her uncomfortable, Unis said she spoke with the child who told her certain things that made her even more uncomfortable.

She told THE STAR that she visited the Spaldings Police Station last month to report the matter, but was told to return with the child. However, when she told the teenager to accompany her to the station later that afternoon, the child refused.

Unis said she last saw Shantina on Wednesday afternoon and recalled how she hugged her little brother lovingly. On Friday, she enquired of the child's father - Lawrence 'Marcus' Sergeant - her former lover, if the teen was OK.

"Mi ask him how she nuh come home from school yet, ... but mi never see him call her," she said.

"Mi start call her but naah get her. Later that evening, Marcus call mi and say mi must follow him go station, and mi follow him and him make a report," she added.

That afternoon the father filed a missing person's report with the police, claiming he had not seen or heard from his daughter. Three days later, on Monday, Unis said she got the heartbreaking call -- flies were swarming around the house.

"Mi call Marcus and seh whe fly a do a yuh yard, and him say him don't know because a one bed him burn up, and one fridge outta door," she related.

Moments later she got a call from the police who informed her that a body has been found at the premises. It was inside a burnt-out refrigerator.

Yesterday, the stench of rotting flesh permeated the air in the laid back community. Just a few feet away lay a charred bed base and other debris. The area, a quiet dirt track community, has been thrown into disbelief.

Head of the Manchester police, Deputy Superintendent Carey Duncan, appealed to Sergeant to turn himself in to the police.

"We are making an appeal for him to come into us so we can have a conversation. We want to confirm certain things and we believe he is in a very good position to assist us in moving our investigation forward. He is not being treated as a suspect, but as a person of interest definitely," he said.

Back in Bailleston, there is shock and disbelief about the death of the teen. Neighbour Clevon Messam said the senior Sergeant had moved to the area about three years ago.

"Mi never see any smoke or nothing. Mi can't believe something like dis happen here so," he told THE STAR.

Another resident, Clifford, said he last saw the teen alive last Wednesday and noticed she seemed withdrawn.

"Mi see her stand up and a look down di yard like she a wonder if fi go down there or not. By di time mi go inside and come back out, she gone," he said.

"Friday mi see di father a carry a fridge and mi even joke wid him ask if him a move out," she said.

Unis said she last heard from her former lover yesterday.

"Him call say him want to talk to the baby, but I don't know where him deh. I tell the police him call," she said.

"Him keep on a tell mi not to send up mi pressure, and mi ask him if him don't know police a look for him, and him seh yes, but him nah turn in himself because him nuh have nobody to bail him," she said.

Other News Stories