April 25, 2024
Ocho Rios, St. Ann. Jamaica
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MURDER WAVE IN ST ANN • Elderly woman, 23-year-old farmer and higgler among 6 killed in 11 days

Six persons lost their lives from either the gun or by way of stabbing implements in 11 days in St Ann. The police have made quick breakthroughs in some of the murders, which stem from incidents that could be solved without the use of violence.

Those killed are: 88-year-old NETTY ROWE, whose body was found on Wednesday, May 17; 31-year-old DAMION KING of Bath, St. Thomas on Saturday night, May 20; 26-year-old EVERETT WALLACE, otherwise called Blacks and Shambo, of Central Village, St Catherine and Mansfield Heights in St Ann on Monday night, May 22; a man, whose identity has not been released, who was stabbed to death on Wednesday night, May 24; 23-year-old AKEEM BERBICK, also called Bum Bum, who was stabbed allegedly over the use of a phone charger on Thursday, May 25 and 36-year-old ROBERT GENTLES of Clayground in Bamboo, St Ann on Saturday, May 27.

The most recent of those murders, involved a dispute between, Robert Gentles, who is a labourer, and another man in the Richmond area of St Ann. Both men were working on a construction site.

It is understood that the men were at a house where the labourers stopped over, when an argument developed between them at about 3:15 a.m. Reports are that the argument was over money.

Both men later armed themselves with weapons as Gentles had a machete and the other man had a knife. Gentles was later stabbed and pronounced dead at hospital.

Head of crime for St Ann, deputy superintendent (DSP) Richard Hilton confirmed that a suspect has been taken into the custody of the police.

The police have also made similar breakthroughs in several of the murders that have occurred in the parish,

In the probe in the murder of 88-year-old Netty Rowe, who was found with stab wounds at her home in Runaway Bay, St Ann, three suspects have been taken into the custody of the police as investigations are ongoing into her death. It is alleged that Rowe was also sexually assaulted.

A sex worker, who is also alleged to have stabbed a man last Wednesday in Runaway Bay area after he allegedly had retaken money he gave her for a sexual transaction, is also in custody as the process continues for charges to be laid against her.

In the meantime, a 17-year-old girl is also in custody awaiting possible charges to be laid against her after she stabbed to death her lover, Akeem Berbick in Eight Miles, St Ann.

A dispute over a phone charger is said to be one of the main reasons behind that murder.