The police have not ascertained a motive for the shooting death of two people in Annotto Bay last week Saturday. A gunman posing as a passenger shot dead a taxi operator and when a passenger attempted to flee the car he shot her and finished her off some feet away from the car.
The St Mary police are continuing their investigations into the double murder in Fort George, Annotto Bay on Saturday, February 25.
Dead are: 47-year-old Robert Brown, a taxi operator and 38-year-old Diana Boothe, both of Fort George, Annotto Bay in the parish.
Both were alleged to have been shot and killed by an unknown assailant, who is believed to have been a passenger in Brown’s taxi, which operated on the Fort George to Annotto Bay route.
The Jamaica Constabulary Force’s (JCF) Information arm, the Corporate Communications Unit (CCU) says that “Reports from the Annotto Bay Police are that about 11:30 a.m., a resident discovered the bodies (of Brown and Boothe) and summoned them. On the arrival of the lawmen, Brown was found slumped over in the car and Boothe’s body was seen about twelve feet from the vehicle. The bodies were removed to the morgue pending post mortem.”
However, residents of the area claim that Brown had picked up two passengers including Boothe and a man. Boothe sat in the front seat of the car, while the man occupied the back seat.
Brown was not driving fast as the road was in a dilapidated condition. The man, who was in the back of the vehicle, pulled a firearm and shot Brown.
Boothe ran from the vehicle, but was chased and shot dead.
It is also believed that the attacker later robbed his victims of their cash and cell phones before making good his escape.
The murder has reportedly left residents in shock and grief as they try to understand why anyone would want to harm the two individuals, who they say were honest people.
Persons have been commenting on the gruesome death of the two individuals on social media platforms including Facebook.
Paul Espeut wrote in relation to Diana Boothe’s death: “Jah know family mi heart a bleed. A since week we chat and you (Diana Boothe) say you a come link mi. Dem heartless man. Dem tek you out, but a so life unfair. God nah sleep still soon see how him work it out.”
Denise Muir wrote: “I know them both… This is where my family originates from… The guy (Robert Brown) is like family to us. Him and my Mom was just at another funeral Sunday gone (two weeks ago) and was suppose to come see her anytime now and this is what happen in broad day light… The girl is someone we all know too, I’m just in shock… And no I don’t think it was robbery.”
A police source explained that investigations into the matter are still ongoing.
The murder comes five months after three people, including an eight-month-old baby were shot and killed in another section of the Fort George community on September 8, 2016.
Those killed were: 62-year-old labourer Albert Pryce, otherwise called ‘Ali’ of Annotto Bay, St. Mary, 25-year-old Rushell Williams, bartender and her daughter, eight-month-old Aleair Sewell of Swift River, Portland.
They were shot dead as they slept in their house.
Despite several media publications for a man to turn himself in, he remains still on the run and the murder remains unsolved.
