The St Mary police have not made a breakthrough in the shooting death of three people in Annotto Bay, St Mary on Thursday morning, September 8.
Those killed are: 62-year-old labourer Albert Pryce, otherwise called ‘Ali’ of Annotto Bay, St. Mary, 25-year-old Rushell Williams, bartender and eight-month-old Aleair Sewell of Swift River, Portland.
The murder occurred at Love Lane on Fort George Road in Annotto Bay.
Residents of the community said that Pryce was found with a bullet wound to the chest as he laid half way on the bed, while Williams sat on the floor. The baby was on the bed near to Pryce.
Head of the St Mary police, deputy superintendent Dwight Powell on Monday explained to The Times that the police have not found a suspect to link with the murder of the three.
He explained that the police had questioned the ex-boyfriend of Rushell Williams for the purpose of collecting a statement from him.
When asked if the target of last Thursday’s attack was Williams, DSP Powell explained that he could not comment further on that at “this stage.”
Reports are that sometime after 3:00 a.m., residents heard explosions but did not contact the police until about 6:30 a.m. Upon their arrival, the bodies were seen in a house with multiple gunshot wounds.
Commissioner of police, Dr Carl Williams, who visited the scene of the crime and also met with family members at the United Pentecostal Church of Jamaica in the community, urged them not to take justice into their own hands.“This is a really a sad day,” Williams said, while he gave assurances the killer or killers would be apprehended. Williams further stated that: “We want to appeal to the persons who are killing that there are other ways to solve issues. It should not lead to death.”
In the meantime, family members of Albert Pryce had received grief counselling from the chaplaincy unit of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, and the community safety and security branch.
DEDICATED TO WORK
Pryce’s son, 31-year-old Albert Pryce Jnr, last Thursday, described his father as a man who was always dedicated to his work.
“He is normally a man that dedicates himself to work. A nuh smaddy weh give trouble or depend on people. Him always try to have him own things,” Albert explained.
His last conversation with his father was a discussion concerning insurance policies.
“Mi see him last week Monday night and me and him did deh a talk and him say him have some insurance paper in one draw and him even show mi the three insurance policies. Him say if anything happen to him mi know where dem is so mi can come tek dem out,” Albert said. “Never know that he would die by gunshot,” he added.
Albert’s twin brother — Aubyn Pryce, who was also at the scene on Thursday, explained that Rushell Williams was not known to him or the family.
He said his father had what appeared to be a bullet wound to the chest, when he went to the house.
“Mi always warn him to be careful,” Pryce said, as he seemed to be n disbelief.
RESIDENTS REACT
For residents of Annotto Bay, it was a familiar story for a town that many regard as the ‘downtown Kingston’ of St Mary with its eerie street corners, dilapidated old buildings and houses and sewage running through the town.
“Annotto Bay again… Dis gone all ova Facebook and all ova the world. Man cum in the area and do him ting and the town ago get a bad name,” one man could be heard saying as he shook his head in disbelief.
For many residents it was a scene of déjà-vu that morning as three years ago a few metres away on Fort George road, there was another triple killing.
Resident at last Thursday’s crime scene spoke in hush tones as they recalled the memories of past gruesome murders.
“Many of the murders happen here (in Annotto Bay) and nothing ever come out a dem,” one woman, who did not wish to be identified, said.
“Other murda happen throughout the year, but this killing of three people one time jus brutal so. We need the police to be present more in the area,” one female resident said on last Thursday’s crime scene.
