“He was a Ja-merican at heart… He could speak patois better than anybody and the first thing he learned when he came, was to play cricket,” explained Teri Nichols, the wife of Harold Nichols, who was one of two American missionaries murdered.
She was speaking on Monday evening, May 2 after Prime Minister Andrew Holness and national security minister Robert Montague travelled to the home in Marrakech Drive, Fernandez Gardens in Boscobel, St Mary.
Harold Nichols, 53, was found dead on Sunday afternoon, May 1 at about 4 p.m. in a pool of water. His friend and fellow volunteer Randy Hentzel, 48, was found with his hands bound and blood coming from his mouth the day before, on Saturday afternoon, April 30, in Albion Mountain.
Both were members of the Teams for Medical Missions, an outreach group that helped several residents of St. Mary by building homes and offering medical care.
Teri Nichols explained to Prime Minister Holness and security minister Montague that her husband had built close to 70 homes since being in Jamaica since 2002, when they both decided to move to the country.
“He would make several rounds on that motorcycle visiting all the persons he made homes for,” she added, while managing to share in a laugh.
However, her laughter quickly turned to sadness, when she stated that she did not know how the children and elderly people would cope, as they loved her husband dearly. Mrs Nichols further explained that a lot of children grew up at their home since their time in Jamaica.
Holness l
auded Mrs Nichols for her resilience, strength and courage in her time of grief.
“There are no words that can give any comfort for the loss of a loved one, especially under such tragic circumstances. It’s always such a terrible thing, but the strength and true Christian spirit of forgiveness is displayed here. The people of Jamaica want you to know what has happened here doesn’t represent them,” Holness said.
He assured Mrs Nichols that the government would work with the police to ensure that the murder of her husband, Harold and his fellow Christian missionary Randy Hentzel would not go unpunished.
Prayer was done with all who gathered holding hands.
Nichols, who has been living in Huddersfield, Boscobel since 2002, was the official liaison officer for TEAMS for medical missions in St Mary.
Hentzel worked as an instructor and Bible teacher. Hentzel had only just returned to Jamaica at the time of his death after taking his wife and his children back home to the US. He had been residing in Tower Isles, St Mary.
