BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE year 2009 ended with the Federation taking stock of its unprecedented murder rate and the authorities endeavouring to craft programmes and strategies aimed at curbing the alarming occurrences.
There were 28 record-breaking homicides for the year but, according to the police, 27 of these are classified as murders. One of the homicides, which they claimed was not murder, is that of Clive ‘Mac’ Lake (37) of Lodge Village, who was shot by a police officer on the Bird Rock premises of the Chief Fire Officer of the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services on March 24.
The first of the 27 murders took place less than two weeks into the year and the victim was 17-year-old Isimba ‘Ratty’ Bradley, also known as ‘Simba’, who was shot on January 10 while on Central Street in the vicinity of Pizza Place. He reportedly ran from that point, down Fort Street and collapsed on a bench in the vicinity of the round-about opposite RAMS Supermarket on the Bay Road.
Ten days later, the Federation recorded its second murder with the victim being 54-year-old Joseph ‘White Joe’ King. Police reports indicate that he was stabbed in the vicinity of Elite Laundry located at St. Johnston’s Village on the Island’s Main Road, and after being rushed to the Joseph N. France General Hospital he succumbed to his injuries at about 2:55 p.m. on the following day (Jan. 21).
The next two murders took place in February; both victims died from gunshot injuries. Shawn Dias-Williams alias ‘Shabo’ and ‘X Man’ of West Farm died on the morning of February 7 after sustaining gunshot injuries from an incident which occurred while he was in Saddlers Village. Jusan Kareem Raphael Hendricks, a.k.a. Jusbo of New Road and Westbourne Ghaut, was the Federation’s fourth victim.
According to reports, he was at shop named “Pub Magnum” on Fort Thomas Road between Thibou and Fiennes Avenues when he was approached by a masked individual dressed in black, who opened fire on him. Hendricks sustained multiple gunshot injuries.
Collin ‘Izum’ Matthew (43), Akimba ‘Oil’ White (19), Kwesi Twells (20) and Audwin ‘Sugars’ Pinney (40) were all shot and killed during the month of March.
Matthew’s fatality took place on March 2, and according to information reaching this media house, he was in a black rental located on Catherine Julius Street, Ponds Extension when an individual(s) approached in a white vehicle and opened fire, striking Matthew a number of times. He was rushed to the Joseph N. France General Hospital where he lost the fight for his life later that day.
White’s and Twells’ death took place simultaneously and marked the Federation’s first double murder to have occurred during 2009; the second and final took place during the last quarter of the year. Also of significance, is that the incident took place less than 48 hours after Matthew’s death.
The two young men were gunned down execution style at about 1:00 p.m. on March 4. They were reportedly in Rasco-Tec Shop on the Infirmary Road and, shortly after exiting the building, a vehicle approached an its occupant(s) opened fire on the men. Both were struck multiple times and pronounced dead on the scene.
‘Sugars’ Pinney met his demise on March 8 after he was “shot multiple times by an assailant who fled the scene”. The incident occurred in Conaree sometime in the evening and he was pronounced dead on the scene.
The second quarter of the year began with what is believed to be one of the Federation’s youngest murder victims. Also, in an unprecedented twist, his alleged assailant is said to be a 10-year-old. Bejay Dore (14) of Warner Street, Cayon suffered a fatal stab wound to his neck on the afternoon of April 3. SKNVibes understands that the incident which took place at Maynard’s Park, Cayon allegedly resulted from an altercation over a ball.
Brandon Browne’s May 3 death marked the Federation’s 10th murder; an incident which took place on Liverpool Row, Basseterre at about 2:40 a.m. According to a police press release, Browne was driving a rented vehicle with a number of passengers, and while at the specified area gunfire was opened on the vehicle. Browne was struck in the head and succumbed to his injuries at the Joseph N. France General Hospital.
The first of three women to be killed during year – another unprecedented occurrence in the Federation – was Icilma Francis of Edwards Lane, New Ponds Site. Reports suggest that during the early hours of March 17, the woman was travelling with her reputed husband Ras Benjie and her daughter ‘Linda’ in the Molineux area when a man appeared and opened fire. Francis was rushed to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
Two days after Francis’ death, another of the Federation’s young ladies perished as a result of gun-related violence. Orngel Estridge, a 26-year-old of Cayon Village, was with her boyfriend in a bedroom at her sister’s home in Shadwwell Gardens when a gunman stuck a firearm through one of the windows and shot her in the head.
Anthony ‘Bounty’ Williams (20) was shot and killed on the night of June 5. The incident took place at Salt Pond Alley, Fort Thomas Road and he succumbed to his injuries at the JNF General Hospital.
The third quarter of the year seemed to have been the busiest with a third of the total murders for 2009 occurring during that period.
Randy ‘Accident’ Daniel (24), Dexter ‘Asabal’ Marsham (24), Maxwell Christopher (25), Stephen ‘Lickshop’ Thomas (31), Akeon Claxton (25), Chavez Henry (19), Keano Lawrence (18) and Laughton ‘Laffie’ Phillip were gunned down during that period. Fourteen-year-old Stancia Lake was also killed during that time. She was the last female to lose her life to gun violence during the year.
Murders 23 to 27 transpired during the last quarter of the year and all, with the exception two, were gun-related. Twenty-four-year-old Glenn Browne was shot in the head while he was with friends in an alley between Fiennes and Thibou Avenues. That incident transpired on October 11 and Browne died at the JNF General Hospital two days later.
Less than two weeks later, October 25, the Federation was again shaken when word got out that a double murder had taken place. John Napier (75) was attacked in the supposed safety of his Milliken Estate yard. Reports suggest that Jadell Browne borrowed a machete from Napier and chopped him in the head. Shortly thereafter, he turned his focus to Wilfred Simmonds before launching an attack on Sylvester Harris. He was stabbed multiple times in the back, head and neck.
Napier was pronounced dead on the scene while Simmonds and Harris were transported to the JNF General Hospital where Harris succumbed to his injuries.
The month-long lull which followed was sharply disrupted by the shooting death of Gregory ‘Buckey’ Fleming. The Verchilds resident, said to be in his 40s, was found lying lifeless on the compound of the Verchilds High School sometime after 11:00 p.m. on November 26.
The final murder victim of 2009 was Bernard Berry. The incident transpired just 10 days after the 21-year-old was acquitted of the murder of Collin ‘Izum’ Matthew.
While Berry was at a house at Gillard Meadows, a group of gunmen broke into the residence and discharged more than 20 shots at him while taking cover in a wardrobe. He was reportedly struck multiple times and died on the spot.
In 2006, the Federation’s murder rate more than doubled that of the previous year’s and stood firmly at 17 while in 2007 a slight decrease was recorded with 16 taking place. A murder rate of 23 was recorded in 2008, registering a massive 43.75 percent increase from 2007’s.
The prevalence of illegal firearms within the Federation continues to present itself as a major problem with 85.20 percent or 23 of 2009’s murders being committed with the use of these weapons. Little more than 13 percent of the gun-related murders were perpetrated against women.
Press and Public Relations Officer of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force, Inspector Vaughan Henderson told this media house that seven of the 27 murders for this year were solved. The solved cases, as SKNVibes understands, are those of Bradley, Matthew, Dore, Marsham, Lake, Napier and Harris.
