Damon Quincy DeRoza is expected to appear in Magistrates' Court today over the death of his five-year-old daughter, Lynae Brown.

The 20-year-old from Cedar Hill, Warwick, was detained by Police shortly after Lynae's body was found on Tuesday evening.

Police are planning a big security operation for DeRoza's court appearance, when he will probably be charged with murder.

An autopsy on the Paget Primary School pupil is likely to be held at the weekend.

American pathologist Dr. Valerie Rao, from the Dade County Medical Examiner's Office in Miami, flies into Bermuda tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Police yesterday reported "significant progress'' in the murder inquiry headed by Chief Insp. Carlton Adams.

A number of witnesses had come forward to provide useful information, said Police spokesman P.c. Gary Venning.

But he added Police were continuing their appeal for witnesses.

In particular, they want anyone in the area of the Lines Food and Liquor Mart in Ord Road, Warwick, and Harbour Road between 5.30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Tuesday to come forward.

Police last night also urged a mystery caller who contacted the Crime Stoppers hotline after the death of Lynae to ring again.

The caller contacted the special 1-800 line around 5.40 p.m. on Wednesday with information about a man and a young girl on a motorcycle in Harbour Road.

Little Lynae's body was found floating in Hamilton Harbour near Mizzentop on Tuesday night.

Two fishermen raised the alarm after seeing the body near Longford Road.

Ambulance staff and Police tried to revive Lynae but, after further intensive treatment at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, she was pronounced dead at 8 p.m.

Police at the hospital were said to have been visibly distressed as doctors confirmed Lynae had died.

At a Press conference on Wednesday, Police Commissioner Colin Coxall and Acting Assistant Commissioner Vic Richmond were unable to say whether a murder weapon had been found, Lynae had been sexually molested, or anyone else had been interviewed.

They explained they had been advised by the Attorney General's Chambers to restrict their comments.

P.c. Venning confirmed yesterday Lynae's father was the only suspect in custody.

Education Ministry counsellors were again at Paget Primary School yesterday, helping staff and students come to terms with their loss.

Deputy head Michael Charles told The Royal Gazette : "Things were certainly not any worse today.

"On the whole kids are pretty resilient and they appeared to be holding up quite well. There wasn't too much disruption of today's schedule.

"The support staff from the department were here again today, and things went reasonably well. I, myself, conducted my regular classes.'' Mr. Charles said the head La-Verne Lau was pleased with the way the school was coping with the tragedy.

Lynae's death echoed another tragedy at Paget Primary School, 18 years ago.

The body of 11-year-old Connie Furtado, a pretty Portuguese girl, was discovered at 4.20 p.m. on February 23, 1978, on wasteland near the old railway right-of-way on Ord Road, Warwick, just a few hundred yards from her home.

In an eerie parallel with Lynae's death, Connie was last seen alive near Lines Grocery Shop on Ord Road.

Lynae is also thought to have been near the Lines store shortly before her death.

Twenty-six-year-old Chesterfield L. Johnson was sentenced to death for murdering Connie.

The Court of Appeal, however, later imposed life imprisonment for a lesser charge of manslaughter.

Lynae had been raised by her mother and grandparents, Allen and Meredith Brown, since she was a baby at their home in Tribe Road 1, Warwick.

They described her as a "beautiful'' child, pointing out she had been looking forward to a happy family Christmas at home. August had also been a special month in her calendar -- her birthday.

Eleven-year-old auntie Allana recalled how Lynae, who had no brothers or sisters, used to love singing and colouring puzzles.

Lynae's death brought to five the number of killings in Bermuda this year.

The others were: Brownlow Tucker Smith Place, of Marsh Folly Road, Pembroke, died after becoming involved in a fistfight last month at a residence on Marsh Folly Road. Thirty-year-old Randal Ellsworth Leroy Walker, from Pembroke, was charged with murder.

Twenty-eight-year-old James Caines, a father of two, was shot three times in the head at point-blank range through the glass door of a house on Curving Avenue, Pembroke, on the night of July 6. Tico Furbert, 25, and Sheldon Franks, 31, were charged with murder.

Seventeen-year-old Rebecca Middleton, a Canadian, was stabbed to death during a holiday in Bermuda in July 3. Her body was found on Ferry Road. Kirk Mundy, 21, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact in the death of the teenager and received a five-year sentence. Justis Raham Smith, 17, of Deepdale Road East, has been charged with the premeditated murder of Middleton.

David Bruce Riley, killed over the Bermuda Day holiday. Gregory Howard Dill, 34, of Angle Street, was charged with murdering Riley on May 24, 1996.

In 1995, between January 1 and September 30 there were three murder or manslaughter cases; and over the same period in 1994 the number was four.