CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – POLICE of the Nevis Division this morning (Apr. 14) slapped charges on three men for the murder of Gary Smithen of Hermitage, Nevis.
According to a press release from the Public Relations Department of the Police Force, 19-year-old Raphael Wallace of New Castle, Dustin Lapsey (27) of Bath Village and Asim Parris (31) of Stoney Grove were formally arrested this morning and charged on warrants in the first instance for the murder of Smithen.
Smithen, who was employed at Pennyless Tires on Pump Road, Stoney Grove, Nevis, was shot on the afternoon of Friday, April 8, 2011 while on his lunch break at his place of work.
According to the Police Press and Public Relations Officer (PRO), Inspector Vaughan Henderson, at about 2:55 p.m. on that day police at the Nevis Division received reports that a man was shot at Pennyless Tires.
“Members of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Nevis Division responded immediately, and investigations revealed that Gary Smithen of Brownhill was inside the tyre shop when a masked gunman entered and shot him a couple of times,” Henderson said.
Smithen was transported to the Alexandra Hospital where he died while undergoing emergency treatment.
He was the fourth homicide victim in a matter of just six days and the seventh for the year.
Today’s release noted that investigations into his death are ongoing.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’s NOTE: While this media house would have liked visitors to the website see the faces of the three accused as normally requested in matters of this nature, photos were not provided by the police. A file photo of Asim Parris was however located, and the police promised that they would provide the media with photos of the men sometime tomorrow.
