Six months and 13 days after 18-year-old Vondé Bowers was fatally stabbed, his mother says she is still waiting for answers and justice.

Bowers was killed on July 29, 2025, just one week after returning home from a cricket tour in England. According to family members, the teenager had been stabbed multiple times and attempted to make his way home before collapsing in a nearby gutter.

“Vondé was never a troublemaker,” his mother said in a social media statement. “He cared for people, I believe more than himself. He was a friend to the end.”

Police subsequently arrested and charged a 16-year-old male in connection with the killing. The accused, who has since turned 17, was initially remanded to His Majesty’s Prison before being transferred to the Dennis Bowers Rehabilitation Center, formerly known as the Boys Training School.

The handling of the case has become a source of anguish and frustration for the grieving mother, who is questioning how serious crimes committed by juveniles are addressed under the law.

“All my life I have never seen a juvenile murderer housed at either Boys Training School or Girls Home, it was always jail,” she said. “Being under 18 doesn’t make your murder any less than an adult.”

Her concerns extend beyond the accused’s placement. She says the family has struggled to receive consistent updates on the progress of the case.

“Why does a family have to beg for an update?” she asked. “Why most times there’s never any update? Why, if you admit to committing a crime, do you still have to sit and wait years for justice?”

Under current legislation, juveniles accused of serious offences are treated differently from adults, with proceedings often taking place within the framework of the Child Justice system. Matters involving minors are also typically subject to restrictions on public disclosure, which can limit the information released to families and the wider public.

Still, Bowers’ mother believes the system needs reform and is calling on lawmakers to revisit provisions within the Child Act that govern how violent crimes committed by minors are handled.

“I refuse as a mother who felt every inch of pain for my first-born to wait in silence,” she said. “My son was an asset to me, to his family, and to this country, Vondé didn’t deserve this.”

Friends and relatives describe Bowers as a promising young man with a passion for cricket and a warm personality that drew people to him. His sudden death sent shockwaves through the community, particularly among youth groups and sporting circles.

As the case continues to move through the legal system, his mother says she remains determined to see it through.

“As long as I have life in me and God grants me the strength, I will fight to the end for my child,” she said. “Vondé was loved, and Vondé will never be forgotten.”