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 January 3, 2019

By Monique Washington

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — Twenty-three homicides occurred in both 2017 and 2018, 2018, however, ends with less gun-related homicides.

The Police along with the St Kitts and Nevis Defense Force and the Regional Security System (RSS) removed 37 illegal firearms from the streets of St. Kitts and Nevis in 2018.

Of the 23 homicides this year, 17 were gun-related, six were crimes of passion.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Andre Mitchell said in September that the Federation had recorded 21 homicides so far in 2018, 15 of which are gun-related. The others, for the most part, relate to acts of domestic violence.

“This trend on homicides represent an increase of three over the corresponding period last year. We have also recorded other serious crimes – non-fatal shootings – which, despite the recent incidents, have shown a decrease over the corresponding period last year,” ACP Mitchell said.

The year started out with
• 19-year-old Cleon Browne of Rawlins, gunned down.
• Four days later on Jan. 21 Shirley Dawn Morton (45) of Hanley’s Road, Gingerland Nevis, found in her home beaten-to-death.
• In March sisters Naomi Finch (19) and Jammyliah Finch (20), strangled and partially decapitated at Keys, St. Kitts.
• That same day Mikelton Tyson (26) of Phillips’ Village, St. Kitts, shot multiple times.
• Glenville Francis (41) victim six, of Newton Ground, St. Kitts, shot-to-death.
• March 17, Calvin “Cally” Archibald, gunned down in Sandy Point, St. Kitts.
• March 31, Marlon James of Brown Hill, Nevis, partially burnt and riddled with bullets.
• April 1, the body of missing 27-year-old Priston Joel Fleming of Newton Ground, found in Old Road Mountain. Autopsy determined he strangled.
• April 22, Adrian Patrick (23) of Phillips’, St. Kitts, shot.
• May 3, Police officer Sgt. Dwight Davis, 37, of St. Paul’s, St. Kitts, shot.
• May 30, Jamoy Stapleton, 17, Taylors, St. Kitts, shot.
• June 1, the lifeless body of 19-year-old Jamie Chapman, shot-to-death in a yard in Clay Ghaut.
• June 3, 82-year-old grandmother Iona Nicholas suffocated in bed in her home at Pond’s Estate.
• June 19, St Peter’s resident Reynaldo Jeffers, shot in his passenger bus.
• July 30, Evanson Smith-Bartlette aka “Fast Mouth” of Stuart Williams Drive, shot-to-death in the driveway of his home.
• Aug. 18, police officer Sgt Leon Powell robbed and shot-to-death.
• Aug. 21, Kassim Buchanan, of Sandy Point, found by his girlfriend in a pool of blood. Autopsy revealed his cause of death due to multiple homicidal blunt-force injuries combined with multiple stab wounds.
• Aug. 27, 32-year-old Mickail Liburd shot in Pine Gardens.
• Sept. 6, 58-year-old Edward Ryan of Fiennes Avenue shot while sitting in his car.
• Sept. 25 Shakeem Norford, shot and killed.
• Oct. 1, the motionless body of John Gumbs of Pond Road, had what appeared to be multiple stab wounds to the abdomen.
• Oct. 7 the motionless body of 35-year-old Elroy ‘Stanny’ Williams of Crab Hill, Sandy Point, found with what appeared to be several gunshot wounds about the body.

On Oct. 13 Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. the Hon Timothy Harris acted on the crime situation in the Federation. He indicated that RSS will be arriving to the Federation in short order and in sufficient numbers to assist our ongoing efforts at ensuring citizen safety and security.

Since the arrival of the RSS the Federation recorded no homicides for November or December. This made it the first homicide-free two months since 2003, when there were no homicide in October November or December.

PM Harris said RSS forces will remain in St. Kitts and Nevis for as long as necessary until the Security Forces advice that their presence is no longer required.

Of the 23 homicides, only two people have been charged. Wayne “Spyer” Chapman charged with murder of Shirley Dawn Morton; and Orvis Pogson, charged with the murder of his girlfriend Naomi Finch and her sister Jammyliah Finch.