A 14-year old boy is to appear in court Wednesday on a charge of murder in the death of nine year old Romaine Robinson, in St James. The body of Romaine, a student of the Bickersteth Primary School in St James, was discovered in bushes in his community, Plantation Heights with his throat cut, and a handkerchief tied around his neck and his hands bound. Several citizens from the quiet and peaceful community, gathered at the crime scene, Thursday, May 22, lamenting the tragic incident which was the first of its kind to happen in their community. While morgue attendants were removing the body on a stretcher, several elderly people and relatives of the young boy broke down in tears. They all said Romaine was a very nice boy who was always willing to go to shop for them.
By weekend, the police had charged, with murder, a fourteen-year-old boy from the community, with murder. Even that was controversial. The boy had been taken in earlier and after being questioned in the presence of his mother and an attorney, he was released but reportedly taken back into custody after confessing that he had killed Romaine. Some are querying whether one boy, acting alone could have held a nine year old, gagged and tied him and then killed him. And they are asking why the 14-year-old alleged murderer would feel it necessary to tie the younger boy. Reports are there was a dispute over a stolen phone and Romaine asked the youth to return the phone to its rightful owner. It is alleged that this led to a dispute between them before Romaine was killed. The 14 –year-old cannot be named. He is appearing in the Montego B ay RM Court on Wednesday.
