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Following two harrowing years that saw 60 murders between 2023 and 2024, the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has marked a historic milestone — beginning the year murder-free for the first two months in over 25 years.

The nation, which recorded 29 murders in 2024 and 31 murders in 2023, has finally seen a long-awaited respite from violent crime. The rare occurrence of zero murders in January and February 2025 offers a glimmer of hope to residents still reeling from the bloodshed of the past two years.

The staggering number of homicides between 2023 and 2024 represented an average of 30 murders per year, a stark contrast to the relatively peaceful period between 2018 and 2022, when the country averaged barely 10 murders annually — a success largely attributed to the implementation of the Team Unity Peace Programme.

Despite the promising start to 2025, families of the victims of unsolved high-profile murders — including the assassination of Azziwah ‘Milk’ Niles-Jones, the brutal murder of Krami ‘I-Mark’ Oloughlin, and the vehicle homicide involving Dr. Simoneth Williams — continue to demand justice and answers from the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and the Ministry of National Security.

Director of Public Prosecutions Adlai Smith recently confirmed that the Williams case remains under review, appealing to the public for assistance in ongoing investigations. However, the families of Jones and Oloughlin have yet to receive any substantive updates, leaving them in anguished uncertainty.

As the nation cautiously welcomes the murder-free streak, the lingering pain of unsolved cases casts a shadow over the newfound calm. With the public’s calls for accountability and transparency growing louder, the authorities face mounting pressure to ensure that the quest for justice does not remain buried in the shadows of the past.