BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WITH little more than three months left before 2009 concludes, the Federation has already recorded 22 murders, just one shy of the 2008 record-breaking 23. Even more alarming is the paltry detection rate attached to it.
The spree of killings for the year began on January 10, first claiming the life of a juvenile and lastly that of a man said to be in his 50s.
Isimba ‘Ratty’ Bradley, Joseph ‘White Joe’ King, Shawn ‘X-Man’ Dias Williams, Jusan Kareem Hendricks, Collin ‘Izum’ Matthew, Akimba ‘Oil’ White, Kwesi Twells, Audwin ‘Sugars’ Pinney, Bejay Dore (14), Brandon Browne, Iscilma Francis, Orngel Estridge, Anthony ‘Bounty’ Williams, Randy ‘Accident’ Daniels, Dexter ‘Asabal’ Marsham (24), Maxwell Christopher, Stephen ‘Lickshot’ Thomas, Stancia Lake, Akeon Claxton, Chavez Henry, Keano Lawrence and
Laughton ‘Laffie’ Phillip all lost their lives to acts of violence during this year.
With the exceptions of King and Dore, all of the victims died as a result of gun-related incidents. King and Dore however died from stab wounds.
Sometime ago, Police Press and Public Relations Officer Inspector Cromwell Henry told this media house that four of the 2009 murders were solved with five persons being arrested and charged.
Since then, the number of murders increased to its present figure and when asked again of the detection rate, the Inspector noted that the number remained the same. In effect therefore, the Federation’s homicide detection rate sits at 18.18 percent.
The first solved murder is that of Colin ‘Izum’ Matthew, who was shot multiple times on March 2 while in a rented vehicle on Catherine Julius Street, Ponds Extension. He was rushed to the Joseph N. France General Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Days later (Mar. 10), the police formally arrested and charged Denzil ‘Para’ Williams and Bernard Berry with Matthew’s murder. They were taken before the court and remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison where they await their trial date.
The life of 14-year-old Bejay Dore of Warner Street, Cayon ended on April 3 after he was allegedly involved in an altercation with another juvenile, purportedly surrounding a ball. His murder was also solved when sometime after the incident a 10-year-old, also of the Cayon area, was arrested and charged with the offence.
Dexter ‘Asabal’ Marsham was shot multiple times while in Godwin Ghaut on July 18. The 24-year-old succumbed to his injuries at the scene of the incident. Seven days later, Curtlee ‘Topac’ Rogers of Parsons was arrested and charged with his murder.
The murder of Stancia Lake - one of the three females murdered in the Federation for the year – was also solved. On August 8, Lake, according to reports, was at a friend’s home at the corner of Wigley Avenue and Cayon Street when she sustained a fatal gunshot wound to her head.
August 14 saw the authorities officially arresting and charging a juvenile with Lake’s murder. He is said to be from the St. Peters area.
Speaking in exclusivity with SKNVibes, Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for Crime (ACP Crime) Joseph Liburd agreed that the detection rate is far less than it should be and offered two explanations for the meager rate.
“The low detection rate, as it stands, is based mainly on a number of factors. (1) Witnesses who may know who would have committed some of these murders are afraid to give evidence and even though they may do so, if there is no corroborating evidence, the case could remain unsolved. (2) With the increase in firearm-related murders, it is difficult to have the persons who are committing the murder known, because if people are using masks and staying from a distance and committing the murders, it is more difficult to solve. It is easier to solve a ‘contact murder’.”
ACP Liburd further explained that the formation of a Homicide Investigation Team has been proposed in an effort to remedy the situation.
“We are proposing to form a homicide investigation team. It would have special officers dealing with murders only and they would have more time to deal with those cases. They would have specialised training and would be given counselling to cope with dealing with those murders. Even visiting the scene can have effects on the officers and that is why we would want counselling and psycho-therapy for them.”
He noted that notwithstanding the inadequate rate of detection for murder, “other murders can be solved depending on the results of DNA testing that are pending. Results are expected by the end of the year”.
