By Suelika N. Buchanan

(Basseterre; St. Kitts): Glynn Osbourne, the brother of the late Robert “Scotty” Osbourne who was brutally murdered last September, 4, 2006, still remembers his brother fondly.

And on the Anniversary of his brother’s death, Glynn is made aware of the wonderful news that his friend and former Ellie Matt and the GI’s Brass mate Dr. Lionel Woosey Rawlins was awarded.

Rawlins was sworn in as a member of the Board of Directors at the California State University, Sacramento for his achievement in his field as a Forensic Criminologist.

The circumstances surrounding Osbourne’s death was that he died from a single gunshot wound in a home at College Street after he was assaulted and wounded a few days before.

(Scotty in the front bending is pictured with friends and family back in 2005)

Osbourne said that Scotty was also a member of the Road crew for the GI’s Brass and that him and Woosey finds it incredibly strange that the same room of the house that Scotty was killed in was the same room where Woosey was born.

“What is indeed very profound for Woosey and I, is the incredible coincidence that Scotty's life was snuffed out in the very same house and in the exact location where Dr. Lionel "Woosey" Rawlins, now an acclaimed forensic criminologist was born,” he said. “Life and living" certainly does follow some odd twists and turns!”

Many believe that Scotty’s wounding and subsequently his murder were in connection with the Rape of young woman whom he was a witness of two months before his death.

The person who was charged with Rape was Wycliffe Liburd and many believe that he sent his ‘posse’ to get Scotty.

According to an Inspector from the Royal St. Kitts and Nevis Police Force the matter is still under investigation.

“Yes he was a witness in the Rape case but we have no evidence to link his murder with the rape case, however, we will not rule out that possibility,” he said. “If the police knew who committed the murder we would have the person or persons arrested and charged.”

The Inspector said that the Police have not gathered any new evidence in the matter recently nd that they haven't closed the case or forgotten about it.

“It just means the case is cold right now but if there are people out there with information and not just speculations then they should come to us and then we will definitely look into them,” he said.

Meanwhile Glynn is coping with the loss of his younger brother.

Scotty in white shirt pictured with his brothers Glynn (blue shirt)

and Eddie "No Go" (yellow shirt).

“Although I have forgiven the perpetrators of the heinous crime against my brother, I still have not reached a place of closure because I do not know the names of his murderers, and, most likely, because justice has not been served,” he said.~~Adz:Right~~

Glynn said that his brother was a human being who respected the humanity in other human beings although he struggled with a skin condition called Vitilgo which is a form of Skin Pigmentation.

"A family friend recently told me that "Scotty" had confided in her that he essentially felt somewhat insecure and abused by friends who would meet him after work on the day that he got paid, and then he'd go and blow a substantial portion of his paycheck on booze," he said. "I assume he felt that this was the only way to have camaraderie and close friends by spending money on them, he felt that if he did not have that paycheck to entertain them he would not have them because of his skin condition..."

Woosey also remembers Scotty fondly. He nick named him 'Scotch' because of his skin condition. Of Scotty he said he was a fun loving, outgoing and gregarious fellow who had a great love for music, Ellie Matt and helped propel Ellie Matt's band to fame and greatness.

"Somewhere, something went wrong with Scotty and he then became the "person to be teased and ridicule"," he said. "An insufferable soul, but through it all, he never threateningly offended anyone except for the occasional begging. He would help anyone with anything and not expect something in return."

 To the Hawaiians, he explained everything is interconnected. Akua means (God), po'e means (people), and aina means (land) and all that comes

from the aina. 

He said hurting anyone of these is hurting oneself, helping these is helping oneself.  Malama means to (care for) these values and one will find true happiness and by practicing this, we make our lives - and the earth - better.

(The photo of the four of brothers (Robert 'Scotty', Christopher, Eddie and

Glynn in their Methodist Church Boys Brigade and Life Boys uniforms

taken in 1963 or 1964.  If one looks closer at Scotty's knees one would see

the white spots of vitiligo on his legs that have spread to his knees)

 "I still hurt deep inside, and, on occasion I still sob, or, cry,” he said. “But this saying of ‘Mauri’ - Life principle, is that ‘Each individual and all living thing have a mauri or life principle that needs to be appreciated and respected. How carefully we feel for and consider the Mauri of each person and thing affects health, self-esteem and fruitfulness, and that saying brings solace to me.”

Glynn says that those words capture the true essence of his brother who was a caring and helping man. He recalled that he learnt of one instance when Scotty cared for the safety of an old, blind lady trying to traverse the very hectic roundabout at Baker's Corner. Glynn said that that memory will be forever etched in his consciousness.

In reference to the Hawaiian culture it is said that the Hawaiian people have discovered a way to true life happiness.

“The ALOHA SPIRIT” literally ‘alo’ means "to be with" and ‘ha’ means "the breath of life. So when one says “aloha” one is actually saying much more than "hello" or "goodbye", one is saying "be with the breath of life", a truly caring wish.

“To bring aloha into your life, you must practice living the ‘aloha spirit’,” Glynn said.

He continued that once a person has mastered the true meaning of “Aloha” and brings ‘Pono’ or (Balance) into their life then you must bring awareness of ‘Aloha’ to others and help them achieve the same balance. For the final part of living Aloha is ‘to share the breath of life with everything’. 

The more we do this the more aloha there is in the world and the more aloha there is in ourselves. So when one says "Aloha" to another they are truly wishing that you are with the breath of life.

“Once I keep the above mantras in my conscience, I seem to be able to come to a surreal space of calmness and forgiveness,” he said. “However, it is indeed a sad commentary of life and living in St. Kitts and Nevis and other parts of the globe that the society is suffering from unfathomable distortions in its socio-economic, political, criminal-justice and spiritual fabric.”

 (Scotty riding his his tricycle in Warner

Park with his family's white Vauxhall car

CN 241in the background back in 1956.

At this stage there was no evidence of what was

to come later in the form of that psychologically

devastating disease called vitiligo)

Glynn also said that he is presently in the midst of writing a book on what society needs to do in order to attain a paradigm shift which is sorely needed to bring more balance and harmony to how we interact with each other in all aspects of our lives.

He said that the book will be dedicated to the memory of his youngest brother Robert Delvin "Scotty" Osborne, and to the honour of his mother Rhoda Imogen Bowry-Osborne and father James Hilton Clement "Clem" Osborne.

“I hope that the persons who assaulted and murdered my brother, "Scotty", are taking the courage to make good of use of their freedom to bring about a change in their hearts and minds for the better good of their humanity and ours as a society,” he said.

(In this photo from left to right (back-row) Leroy Greene, Robert "Bobby J" Hobson, Ellie Matt (Elston Matthew/Nero), Ian "Patches" Glasford/Liburd, Glynn "Charlie" Osborne, Keithley Esdaille, Alonzo "Al" Jones; in the middle is Thomas McCow, one of our doormen and brother of Clarence "Mutto" Mc Cow who later palyed with the band and on our first recording; (front row) Calvin Esdaille (founder of the band), Leroy "Richie" Richardson, Thomas "Tommy" Astaphan, and Lionel "Woosey" Rawlins/Audain. The photo was taken in 1970 at a wedding at the Skerritt's home. At that time they were called 'The Group Impressions Orchestra'. They were beginning to morph from Group Impressions Orchestra to GI's Brass.  The name Ellie Matt and the GI's Brass came later. All Photos compliments Glynn Osbourne.)