BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE partly-decomposed body of Basil Alfred Phipps, who went missing on Thursday (Jan. 15), was found this morning (Jan. 19) in the Wharton’s Hill area.
On Saturday (Jan. 17), Phipps’ relatives had reported to the police that they had last seen him at about 7:00 a.m. on Thursday (Jan. 15) and a missing person bulletin was subsequently dispatched to various media houses.
Since then, a number of search parties were organised that comprised police officers, family members and friends. However, it was not until some minutes to 12 noon today a party led by Sergeant Wyatt had located his partly-decomposed body.
The body of the 53-year-old man was found within some tall grass north of the Island’s Main Road in the vicinity of Wharton’s Hill with a large wound (3X4 inches) to the right of his head.
This publication was told that Phipps would habitually journey on foot from his Saddlers Village home to St. Paul’s Village to purchase alcoholic beverage, which he would place in a plastic bottle he always carried in his back pocket.
It was suggested that he might have been on his way home when the incident occurred and was dragged into the tall grass after being struck on his head.
He was pronounced dead by Dr. V. Alexanderrov, a Trinidad-based forensic pathologist who had performed an autopsy on the body of a man discovered dead in St. Paul’s a few days ago.
According to ‘B’ Division Commander Superintendent Cromwell Henry, the matter is being treated as a homicide and the police are seeking the public’s assistance in bringing the perpetrator(s) to justice.
“Anyone having information pertaining to this incident is asked to contact the Violent Crimes Unit at 465-1886, 1887, the nearest police station, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477(TIPS). Remember, you do not have to provide your personal information and you may be eligible for a reward,” Henry requested.
Basil Alfred Phipps’ death is the second murder to have been committed in the twin-island Federation for the year; one in each of the islands.
The first is that of Devon ‘Kobe’ Griffin who on Friday (Jan. 9) was shot multiple times in the vicinity of his home in Rawlins Village, Gingerland, Nevis.
