Sugar Ray Thomas
The three parishes of St Ann, St Mary and Portland saw 95 murders up to December 12 last year, according to official statistics.
Police investigations resulted in persons being taken into custody and brought before the courts, in some of these murders. However, many have left investigators baffled and still searching for clues to help solve the crimes. Families, friends and communities have been left shocked and outraged while many of their lives have been seriously affected by the violence and brutality that took away the lives of loved ones.
North Coast Times covered some of those horrific murders involving guns, knives and machetes and other implements. The situations and motives were varied: lovers turned against their partners; a police officer was killed by his former friend; three people, including an eight month old baby were shot dead; a child was slaughtered and even two American missionaries were slain.
In some cases we, had follow ups to see whether there was any progress in the investigations or check on the status of the cases before the courts.
Here is part one of our feature on some of the worst and more spoken about murders of 2016.
TWO AMERICAN MISSIONARIES SLAIN
It was one of the murders that drew international attention, especially in the United States where ‘St Mary, Jamaica’ was all over the news.
This was as a result of the murder of US missionaries, 48-year-old Randy Hentzel, and 53-year-old Harold Nichols.
Hentzel and Nichols were members of the US outreach group, TEAMS for Medical Missions and had done extensive voluntary service throughout St Mary for years. They were both well loved throughout the parish as they touched many lives. They made Jamaica their home as Nichols resided in Huddersfield, while Hentzel – who sometimes stayed with Nichols and his wife- traveled on occasions home to the US.
It came as a shock to the parish and St Mary when within hours of each other both men were found dead in Albion Mountain district in St Mary on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1, respectively.
The two were reportedly last seen alive when they left Tower Isle on motorcycles about 8:00 am on Saturday, April 30.
Residents later stumbled upon their bodies. Hentzel was found face down with the hands bound and Nichols’ body was found with his head bashed in. Autopsies later showed that Hentzel died of a gunshot wound while Nichols had gunshot and chop wounds.
Investigations later intensified as US law enforcement officials participated with their Jamaican colleagues in the probe into the crimes to locate the culprits behind the killing.
A month after the killing on Friday, June 3, the police nabbed 25-year-old Andre Thomas, alias ‘Baugh’ of Albion Mountain in St Mary during an operation in Port Maria. Thomas was questioned and later charged with murder and illegal possession of firearm in relation to the death of the missionaries.
Weeks later, another accused, 25-year-old Dwight Henry, otherwise called ‘Dougie’ and ‘Chino’ of Wentworth, St. Mary was taken into custody on Friday, June 24. He was formally charged with murder and illegal possession of firearm in relation to the missionaries’ murder.
Henry and Thomas had several mention dates before the St Mary Parish Court. The case was to be brought back before the court later in January, but a hearing in the case was set for February 17. This hearing would determine if there was enough evidence presented in the statements on the file to link both men to both murders.
However, on Tuesday afternoon, January 3, Dwight Henry escaped police custody from the Port Maria Hospital. He had complained of feeling unwell and was taken to the hospital. He later made his escape, while allegedly being taken to use the bathroom.
TRIPLE MURDER IN ANNOTTO BAY
One of the most horrific and gruesome of murders to rock the North Coast involved three persons, including a baby, being shot dead at a house in Annotto Bay, St Mary on Thursday, September 8.
Months after the killing, police investigators are still trying to make a breakthrough into the murder investigations.
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. Police found the bodies of the three in a house with multiple gunshot wounds, after explosions were heard earlier that morning.
Weeks after the murder, the police had listed a convict, Charles Hamilton as being wanted for question into the triple murder. Hamilton had escaped the custody of the Islington police lock-up on August 11 while awaiting sentencing in September for shooting with intent.
However, police later said there was not enough evidence to link Hamilton in connection to the killings.
Head of the Area Two police division, assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Fitz Bailey indicated at a press conference in December that the case was in the process of being resolved.
3-Y-O KILLED IN GRUESOME MURDER
The garden parish of St Ann had several shocking murders in 2016, but none was more gruesome than the stabbing death of 3-year-old Nevalisia Campbell in Orange Hill in the parish.
Campbell was allegedly killed by 19-year-old Alexus Newland, alias ‘Dal Dal.’
Initial reports made by the mother were that she had put Nevalisia and her twin brother to bed at around 10:30 on Saturday night, July 9 before little girl awoke at about 11 pm and asked for water.
The report further stated that both mother and daughter went back to bed after the child was given the water — and that by 1:30 am, Nevalisia could not be found anywhere in the house.
The mother later made a report to the Brown’s Town police, at about 2 o’clock Sunday morning, July 10.
Police investigations, however, revealed that the mother and the stepfather were not at the house at the time Nevalisia disappeared.
Residents later searched and found Nevalisia’s body in bushes with several chop wounds.
The 24-year-old mother, Mahalia Poyser, a bartender and her 30-year-old boyfriend Roy Downs, a plumber – both of Orange Hill, Brown’s Town, St Ann, were taken into custody and charged for various breaches under the Child Care and Protection Act. They were granted bail and their trial date was set for May 1, 2017.
In the meantime, Newland’s case is still before the St Ann Parish Court pending transfer to the Circuit Court.
OBSESSIVE LOVER KILLS EX-LOVER
There were several domestic related murders throughout 2016 across the North Coast. One of them involved an obsessive male, who allegedly made good his threat of killing his 20-year-old ex-girlfriend, Alisa Garey.
The ex-boyfriend, 20-year-old Ryan Edwards reportedly stabbed Garey in the presence of her mother on Wednesday, December 14.
It is alleged that on that close to noon on Wednesday, December 14, Garey went to the Ocho Rios Police Station to make a report after Edwards threatened to kill her.
After the report was made, Edwards was called to the police station where a discussion took place between him (Edwards) and the police. Both parties were then released.
It was further alleged that Garey was walking along the roadway in the vicinity of Champion Supermarket, in Ocho Rios, in the company of her mother when an argument developed between Edwards and Garey’s mother. This was when Edwards allegedly pulled a knife from his waist and stabbed Garey twice. Edwards then attempted to escape in nearby bushes, but was caught by residents and beaten. He was apprehended by the police.
Garey succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. Ryan Edwards was questioned and charged by the police. He made his first appearance before the St Ann Parish Court on Wednesday, December 21, where he was remanded into custody until February 7 for his legal representation to be settled.
OLDER LOVER STABS YOUNG LOVER TO DEATH
The brutal stabbing of a woman in the morning rush hour near the centre of Ocho Rios on Wednesday, June 29, lead to outrage and then set tongues wagging about relationships between older men and younger women.
Dead is 22-year-old Kyria Nelson, loan clerk of Pimento Walk, near Ocho Rios, St Ann.
The man charged for stabbing the woman and slashing her throat was 58-year-old Norman Thomas, also called Ned, vendor, of James Avenue, Ocho Rios, St Ann. Thomas’ case was still before the St Ann Parish Court and he was remanded into custody on his last court date.
A long running relationship between the two had gone sour. Reports are Thomas was trying to get from Nelson money made at a fish fry, days earlier on which he still owed bills. She was not taking his calls.
Reports are that shortly after 8 a.m. on that Wednesday (June 29) after an attempt a few minutes earlier to get Nelson’s attention, Thomas walked up to her at her office. They exchanged a few words and he reportedly started stabbing her. Loud screams pierced the morning air at Torpedo Loan Company on Brown’s Plaza.
Screaming and bloodied, she ran into a salon next door, as he allegedly chased her and continued stabbing her. In the salon, she fell onto a chair and called out for help. Then she collapsed, falling backward, with blood gushing from her throat.
She was taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
