The Trelawny police have arrested and charged a sixty-year-old man from Stewart Town for the murder of an elderly woman from the same district in the parish in August.
The man has been identified as Paul Brown, a farmer of Stewart Town, Trelawny, who police say is very ill and who they want removed from lock up after he failed to post bail last week.
Brown has been charged for the murder of 67-year-old Sereica Palmer, also a farmer of Stewart Town.
Palmer was found, by another farmer, floating in the popular Darnack River. She was found with chop wounds to her head, hands and back. There were also several bruises to other sections of her body. It is believed that she was killed and her body thrown into the river.
The woman’s son with whom she had a longstanding dispute was taken into custody in connection with the murder but was later released after investigations revealed that Paul Brown was connected to the killing and was being sought by police.
Brown reportedly fled the parish but was held in St Catherine. He was subsequently arrested and charged. The Trelawny police revealed that the man who is said to be suffering from severe illnesses, confessed to the killing.
When he appeared in the Falmouth Resident Magistrate Court on Thursday, October 9, Brown told the court that he was attacked by the elderly woman and he retaliated. He said the killing was in self-defense. He was offered bail at $200,000 with sureties. The accused is however unable to take up bail as he told the court that his family is very poor.
Police also revealed that they will be contacting family members to take up bail for Brown. The Police said this is because Brown has suffered three strokes since the incident and is very hypertensive (or has high blood pressure). He is to return to court on Friday, December 19. It is reported that Brown was ordered to relocate when he takes up bail as his life is under threat by residents.
Reports are that on Thursday, August 28, Palmer left home at about 6:00 am to attend to her farm located near a river in the community. It is reported that Palmer did not return home at her usual time, about two hours later, and a search was launched by residents who later contacted the police. At about midday, Palmer’s body was seen floating in the river.
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