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August 13, 2014
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'I HAD 2 DAUGHTERS, NOW I HAVE ONE' - Man loses child after DNA test
Diandra Grandison, Staff Reporter

Today, we continue with our buzzworthy feature, Paternity Puzzle.

The Paternity Puzzle feature attempts to help families solve paternity disputes. One lucky person, each month, will get a free test and reveal the truth once and for all.

This and every Wednesday, we publish the story of a mother and a suspected father who will both give their sides in tales of allegation and denial.

Be sure to follow the series as THE STAR awards a free DNA test, sponsored by Caribbean Genetics, to the most interesting story for the month.

The results are finally in for June's Paternity Puzzle winner!

The winning story dubbed, 'Who's the baby's daddy?', had 19-year-old Tanesha Elliotand 29-year-old Everton Bennetttaking a paternity test free of cost to determine if Elliot's now 10-month-old baby belongs to Bennett.

In June, the pair contacted our office hoping that a DNA test could put their minds at ease so they could continue with their relationship.

Bennett and Elliot told THE STAR that they met about two years ago through a mutual friend. They began dating, and about three months into their relationship, Elliot became pregnant.

But things started to go awry in their relationship prior to Elliot giving birth, after she admitted that another man could possibly be her child's father.

Elliot: "Before we got into the relationship, I was dating someone else. He (Bennett) was aware of it. When I found out I was pregnant, I told him that I wasn't sure because of the person I was dating."

Bennett: "We met in November 2012, began dating and having unprotected sex until January. I didn't see her again all of January and February, start hearing from her in the late part of March. She was honest to tell me she was having sex with someone else when we separated in December. She told me she was pregnant and said she thinks it's mine in March."

THE STAR had asked the pair whom the child resembles to which they stated.

Bennett: "The child resembles the mom and her side of the family, I don't really see the child on me."

Elliot: "She favour him, even has his ears, he's tall and she's tall also, she has nothing for the other person."

Elliot had revealed to THE STAR that her daughter is not registered in Bennett's name, but instead, her sister's.

Elliot: "She is registered in my sister's name. While we were in the relationship, he was acting up, so I registered her in my sister's name and decided to move on with my life."

At the time, both told THE STAR that they would like the DNA results to declare Bennett as the child's biological father.

Yesterday, THE STAR contacted the pair to tell them the results and they were asked again what they thought the results would state.

Bennett: "I'm really not sure, I'm surprised to know what it is."

Elliot: "The results will say that it is his."

Unfortunately for Elliot, the results stated that Bennett is not the father of her 10-month-old daughter.

When the results were read, both were stunned.

Bennett: "I'm not really normal right now. I really wasn't expecting that. I'm kinda surprised because I was thinking that I was the father. I was so certain. I was not expecting that answer."

Elliot: "I feel down and shocked.I really can't explain how I feel."

THE STAR asked the pair how they intend to move forward, now that the results have put their doubts to rest.

Bennett: "I won't promise that I will do all that I would do if I was the father, but whatever I can do in anyway I will do it. I will still call and see if she's alright, if I can assist in buying anything, I will buy it."

He continued: "I don't know how I'm going to face everything. Yesterday, I thought I had two daughters, now I have one."

Elliot: "I will just give her to her father, which is the other guy."

THE STAR asked Elliot if the other man was aware of the possibility of fathering a child with her, to which she stated "No, not really, so I'm just gonna tell him."

Names changed

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