Murder toll up in St Thomas
YALLAHS, St Thomas — The Parish of St Thomas has experienced a rapid increase in the number of murders with six killings over an eight day period, bringing the total to 17 since the beginning of the year.
Two bodies found in the parish on Sunday have been identified as 28 year-old farmer, Shawn Kirkland, of Bowden Pen and 39 year-old plumber, Lloyd Brown, of Commissioner Road in Kingston 2.
According to police reports, Kirkland’s body was first found in a shallow grave on July 28 by his common-law-wife, who was directed to it by a man called Charlie Junior who shared a yard with the couple. Junior is now being sought by the police.
The Morant Bay CIB allege that Junior kidnapped the woman in an attempt to prevent her from telling cops about Kirkland’s death. During the abduction, he allegedly prevented her from answering her cell phone.
However, the police say they were contacted by the woman’s concerned friends and neighbours and on the morning of August 3, they paid a visit to Bowden Pen.
According to Observer sources, upon the group’s arrival, Kirkland’s girlfriend was seen seated on the verandah while Junior hid in bushes. When she was called to come forward, she said she could not, as Junior had a knife and would hurt her if she did.
The police invaded the premises, but Junior reportedly escaped and the woman then took cops to Kirkland’s body.
Meanwhile, the body of Lloyd Brown was found by police in an advanced state of decomposition in a shallow grave in Cambridge, Bull Bay in the parish. It had a bullet wound in the back of the head.
Brown was last seen leaving home on July 27 in his white Nissan station wagon motor car. When he did not return home that evening, his brother reported him missing.
The police say Brown was seen that day by persons in Bull Bay and so their search took them to that area. No motive has been established for his murder.
On Emancipation Day, there were three murders. Twenty-three year-old Jevon Bogle of Spring Garden; 40 year-old Norval Lewis of Bath; and 45 year-old Ian Fertado were killed in separate incidents between the hours of 3:15 am and 9:30 pm.
On July 26, 36 year-old Alton Henry, an unemployed man of Church Corner, was gunned down at his home at approximately 8:30 that evening.
To date, only one person has been arrested and charged in relation to any of the six killings.
He is 29 year-old Lenroy Laing of Bath who was charged with murder after he allegedly hit his uncle, Norval Lewis, in his chest with a stone.