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2007 closes with 16 murders/seven solved
By Terresa McCall
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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Shermel Phillip
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Basseterre, St. Kitts: At the end of 2007, the Federation recorded 16 murders, a record which is second only to that of 2006 when 17 murders were committed.
At the commencement of 2007, there was much talk and speculation of what the murder rate for that year would be and whether the Federation’s security forces, and society on a whole, would be able to prevent the said rate from escalating to a record breaking level.
The first murder for 2007 was on 12th January, when Darren Berry of Keys Village was brutally gunned down while he was traveling in Bayfords, St. Peters. Darren was traveling with his brother, who was also injured in the onslaught, but managed to survive.
Two St. Peters residents, Justin Bass and Lumumba Matthew have been charged with Darren’s murder and the attempted murder of his brother.
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Craig Hamilton
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Murder number two took place little more than a month later. On 16th February, Shermelle Phillip was found with a slashed throat in her car which was parked in her yard in Nevis. Her husband, Warrington Phillip has been charged with the crime.
Nigel “Daffy” Henry, of Molyneaux Village, was the third murder victim for the year. On 27th February, after leaving his place of work at the Monkey Farm, he was gunned down while walking along Bourryeaux Range. The police have indicated that a person(s) has been arrested and charged with Henry’s murder.
The Federation’s fourth murder victim and Nevis’ second, was 23 year old Jamali Champan who was shot and killed on 14th April.
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Damian Dias
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On 22nd April, Robert “Robbie” Smith, 41, of De Village was shot in the head, while sitting in a chair just outside his place of residence.
The next murder victim was sixteen year old “Sunky”, legally known as Jumal Mike, of Saddlers Village who was found dead in a church building which was under construction, in the Village area on 25th May.
Sources revealed that when the body was found, it was not clear as to what the cause of death may have been. An autopsy, however, revealed that the chap died of a gunshot wound to the head. No one has been arrested in connection to this incident.
Craig “Professor” Hamilton of Conaree, the 7th murder victim, was shot while at a shop in Conaree. The incident occurred on 9th June and the authorities have indicated that no arrests have been made in relation to this incident but investigations continue.
A 49 year old Old Road resident was the next murder victim. He lost his life on the night of August 3rd , reportedly at the hands of a Defence Force Officer. Weeks after the incident, Defence Force Soldier Lewis Richards was arrested and charged with the crime.
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Jamarl Chapman
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The next two murders also occurred in August. Conrad “Yankee” Davis was found dead in an abandoned house on 27th August while Dave “Jahman” Brown was gunned down at George Street, Newtown. They were murder victims nine and 10.
Darren Berridge, 26, of Cayon was found on Neverson Street West, Newtown, with gunshot wounds about his body, on 14th September. This registered the 11th murder for the year and the only to have occurred in September.
The sole murder victim for the month of October was Ernish Emanuel Weekes of Challengers Village. He was found dead in his home after he was allegedly stabbed by what has been described as “a mentally unstable woman”. The police previously indicated that a woman from the Challengers area was arrested and charged with the offence. He was murder victim number 12.
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Terrence "De Whale" Francis
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Four murders were recorded in the month of November. the first was that of Wilson George, 35, a native of the Dominican Republic who resided at Upper College Street. He was stabbed in the stomach after leaving a Spanish Bar located at Malone Avenue. Another Spaniard, Juan Francisco Pemberton, is being sought by the authorities in connection with the incident which occurred on 4th November.
Javez Caines, 21, of Irishtown Project, was playing a game of dominos in Irishtown, on 24th November, when an individual(s) approached him and opened fire.
He was taken to the Joseph N. France General Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. He was the Federation’s 14th murder victim for 2007.
Terrence “De Whale” Francis, 38, of Buckley’s Estate was stabbed to death after he reportedly went to the aid of his estranged wife at Camps Village. Terrence Browne of Camps Village has been charged with the murder.
~~Adz:Right~~ Damian Dias of Pitcairn Street, Newtown was the last murder victim for 2007. Reports suggest that he was walking in the Newtown area when, while at the junction of Pitcairn and George Streets, a person or persons opened fire on and killed him.
The authorities have indicated that they are working assiduously to solve the nine cases which have not yet been solved. They are also asking the public to assist wherever possible in providing information relative to the incidents.
Persons with relative information are invited to contact the nearest police station or the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at 465-2241 extensions 220/230 or 236.
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