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What I am going to say is revolting...
But is it not strange given the amount of killing in Jamaica so few children are killed ? From this article out of 2600 people in the 2004 / 2005 only 36 ?
The same can be said for women.. I think last year out of the 1600 a mere 116 women were killed....
And given that there is less than a 30 % closure of murder cases of these 36 only 9 are unclosed ?????
Are the killers in Jamaica not killing women and children by some bizzare sence of chivalry ????? Since it is acknowledged that men are doing the killing do they undervalue each other so much or do they overvalue children and women...
How come the police are so good at solving the murder of children rahere than the general murder ?????
Given the high
I saw this in the star
Hunt for the Child Killers
BY LEIGHTON WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Mark Shields - FILE
THIRTY SIX JAMAICAN children ages two to 13 years were brutally murdered between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2005.
Nine of these murders remain unsolved and today THE STAR launches a campaign offering a reward totalling $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and charge of the person/persons responsible for each of these crimes.
FULL CONFIDENTIALITY
In total, THE STAR is putting $1 million towards this reward and is urging the nation to 'Hunt for the Child Killers,' for the next six months. Crime Stop will be collecting and managing the information provided by the public and will maintain full confidentiality of anyone who provides information.
The police are craving the help of the public find the killers of these nine children.
"There is a tendency in Jamaica for people not to want to cooperate with the police. But people have to search their consciences to know if they want the killers of children to go free and may be murder other children," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Mark Shields, the officer in charge of crime.
Detective Sergeant Daniel Albert, the lead investigator in the Sasha-Kaye Brown-murder, said any information will be welcomed.
"If they have information which can assist us in any way, they should come forward by calling 119, Crime Stop or the nearest police station. We know of suspects but we need their whereabouts and that's where the public's help is important," said Detective Sergeant Albert.
They are not the only ones who want our child killers to be caught. THE STAR's campaign partner, Crime Stop, which has also been focusing on the dastardly act of child murders this year, also has an interest.
"The public has the information and they need to give it to the police because they (the police) can't do it alone so they need to come forward," said Prudence Gentles, coordinator for Crime Stop.
Families of the victims also struggle with the absence of closure when cases are unsolved. Ruth Green is still trying to deal with her daughter Shanika's death. Shanika was murdered on May 1, 2005, after she was taken away from the Coronation Market, raped and then killed.
Her body was found in an open lot behind Manley Meadows in Kingston.
"The last thing I heard they said they held a third person but the DNA did not match so they let him go. What scares me the most is that I could be rubbing shoulders with the individual and he is getting away with murder," said Green as she fought the tears.
Shanika's murder was most gruesome and is paralleled by the deaths of Shauna-Kaye Legister and Shanika Shakes in Westmoreland. They were raped and killed while going to school on June 30, last year. Also shocking was the murder of 10-year-old Sasha-Kaye Brown who died five months later.
Police report that on October 5, 2005, at 1:30 a.m., about 40 men, all armed with high-powered rifles and Molotov cocktail bombs, entered the yard where the child, her mother and grandparents lived on Barnes Avenue, Kingston 13. The men fired several shots inside the house, padlocked the verandah grille and then bombed the house. All four occupants were burnt to death. Neighbours report they heard Sasha-Kaye's shrill voice screaming for help as she died. To make matters worse, the gunmen fired on residents who attempted to help.
"We have suspects in that murder but we are yet to apprehend anyone who is responsible," said Superintendent of Police Delroy Hewitt, the officer in charge of the Denham Town Police Station.
REPRISAL KILLINGS
"We are working feverishly to solve it as recently we went after one of the suspects but we failed to hold on to him," said Superintendent Hewitt.
The motive for Sasha-Kaye's death is still undetermined. But several of the 36 deaths are thought to have been reprisal killings. There are several such cases.
In January 2004, Devonte Lawla, three, of White Wing Walk, Cockburn Pen, was shot and killed along with another man in a drive-by shooting. The police say that the community and another area were in a feud when the incident happened. (Two men were arrested and charged).
In June of that year, Jovaughn Williams, 11, of Rose Heights, Montego Bay, St. James, was murdered as he walked home. Residents found their bodies in a dirt track the following morning. Police attributed the motive to a gang feud. (Case open).
In September, three children, Moesha Lee, five, and twins Tyrone and Tyreek Henry, four, were killed when their house was set on fire on Port Henderson Road, Portmore, St. Catherine. The police said the children's death was as a result of a feud between their mother and other persons in the community. [Two men were arrested and charged]
On January 13, 2005, Tevin Parchment, nine, was killed along with sister and Richard Miller, 24. They were murdered in their house in Gordon Town, St. Andrew. The police speculate they were killed because they were thought to be informers. [case closed]
On June 6, Shantel Miller, 11, her 60-year-old grandfather, Fitz Johnson, and an uncle, were murdered while sleeping in their house in Buck Town, Spanish Town, St. Catherine. The police report that men knocked on the door and entered the house firing shots. Miller and her grandfather died on the spot while her uncle died later in hospital. Her nine-year-old cousin was grazed by a bullet.
Residents said 34 spent shells were found in the house.
GANG MEMBERS
"Dem claim seh a man from Gordon Pen do it but a di same man dem from in a di area do it," said an uncle of Miller.
"Likkle before it happen some shot did fire di night before a waan bar an dem seh a Gordon Pen man dem responsible. So di nex night now di man dem come an spray di house because dem seh we have relative over Gordon Pen," he said.
Residents believe the men involved were killed by their fellow gang members. [suspect killed, case closed]
Two weeks later, gunmen from another lane sprayed a section of York Avenue with bullets. During the shooting, Toni-Ann Thomas was shot. Her father was shot on the finger. [case open]
In October, Rodaine Powell, three, was at home with mother Rosemarie Lyttle, her son Oshane Walker on Hanover Street when men kicked open their door and fired several shots hitting occupants all over their bodies. [one man arrested]
December saw the death of Oksana Douglas, seven who was killed in a drive-by on Tower Avenue, Olympic Gardens.
"One of the suspects was killed by his cronies but others are still at large," said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Michael Phipps, officer in charge of crime for St. Andrew South Division. [case open]
Aside from those deaths, several murders involved family members or fellow teenagers. For 2004, family members and the victims peers accounted for 10 of the murders. Interestingly, five of the 10 deaths were babies whose ages ranged from four months to one-year-old. For 2005, only three children were killed by a member of their family.
In that case, Shadece Williams, four; Stacy-ann Gardener 13 and Dwayne Davidson 15 were killed in Kilancholy, St. Mary in January. They were reportedly stabbed to death by their uncle.
But is it not strange given the amount of killing in Jamaica so few children are killed ? From this article out of 2600 people in the 2004 / 2005 only 36 ?
The same can be said for women.. I think last year out of the 1600 a mere 116 women were killed....
And given that there is less than a 30 % closure of murder cases of these 36 only 9 are unclosed ?????
Are the killers in Jamaica not killing women and children by some bizzare sence of chivalry ????? Since it is acknowledged that men are doing the killing do they undervalue each other so much or do they overvalue children and women...
How come the police are so good at solving the murder of children rahere than the general murder ?????
Given the high
I saw this in the star
Hunt for the Child Killers
BY LEIGHTON WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Mark Shields - FILE
THIRTY SIX JAMAICAN children ages two to 13 years were brutally murdered between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2005.
Nine of these murders remain unsolved and today THE STAR launches a campaign offering a reward totalling $100,000 for information leading to the arrest and charge of the person/persons responsible for each of these crimes.
FULL CONFIDENTIALITY
In total, THE STAR is putting $1 million towards this reward and is urging the nation to 'Hunt for the Child Killers,' for the next six months. Crime Stop will be collecting and managing the information provided by the public and will maintain full confidentiality of anyone who provides information.
The police are craving the help of the public find the killers of these nine children.
"There is a tendency in Jamaica for people not to want to cooperate with the police. But people have to search their consciences to know if they want the killers of children to go free and may be murder other children," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Mark Shields, the officer in charge of crime.
Detective Sergeant Daniel Albert, the lead investigator in the Sasha-Kaye Brown-murder, said any information will be welcomed.
"If they have information which can assist us in any way, they should come forward by calling 119, Crime Stop or the nearest police station. We know of suspects but we need their whereabouts and that's where the public's help is important," said Detective Sergeant Albert.
They are not the only ones who want our child killers to be caught. THE STAR's campaign partner, Crime Stop, which has also been focusing on the dastardly act of child murders this year, also has an interest.
"The public has the information and they need to give it to the police because they (the police) can't do it alone so they need to come forward," said Prudence Gentles, coordinator for Crime Stop.
Families of the victims also struggle with the absence of closure when cases are unsolved. Ruth Green is still trying to deal with her daughter Shanika's death. Shanika was murdered on May 1, 2005, after she was taken away from the Coronation Market, raped and then killed.
Her body was found in an open lot behind Manley Meadows in Kingston.
"The last thing I heard they said they held a third person but the DNA did not match so they let him go. What scares me the most is that I could be rubbing shoulders with the individual and he is getting away with murder," said Green as she fought the tears.
Shanika's murder was most gruesome and is paralleled by the deaths of Shauna-Kaye Legister and Shanika Shakes in Westmoreland. They were raped and killed while going to school on June 30, last year. Also shocking was the murder of 10-year-old Sasha-Kaye Brown who died five months later.
Police report that on October 5, 2005, at 1:30 a.m., about 40 men, all armed with high-powered rifles and Molotov cocktail bombs, entered the yard where the child, her mother and grandparents lived on Barnes Avenue, Kingston 13. The men fired several shots inside the house, padlocked the verandah grille and then bombed the house. All four occupants were burnt to death. Neighbours report they heard Sasha-Kaye's shrill voice screaming for help as she died. To make matters worse, the gunmen fired on residents who attempted to help.
"We have suspects in that murder but we are yet to apprehend anyone who is responsible," said Superintendent of Police Delroy Hewitt, the officer in charge of the Denham Town Police Station.
REPRISAL KILLINGS
"We are working feverishly to solve it as recently we went after one of the suspects but we failed to hold on to him," said Superintendent Hewitt.
The motive for Sasha-Kaye's death is still undetermined. But several of the 36 deaths are thought to have been reprisal killings. There are several such cases.
In January 2004, Devonte Lawla, three, of White Wing Walk, Cockburn Pen, was shot and killed along with another man in a drive-by shooting. The police say that the community and another area were in a feud when the incident happened. (Two men were arrested and charged).
In June of that year, Jovaughn Williams, 11, of Rose Heights, Montego Bay, St. James, was murdered as he walked home. Residents found their bodies in a dirt track the following morning. Police attributed the motive to a gang feud. (Case open).
In September, three children, Moesha Lee, five, and twins Tyrone and Tyreek Henry, four, were killed when their house was set on fire on Port Henderson Road, Portmore, St. Catherine. The police said the children's death was as a result of a feud between their mother and other persons in the community. [Two men were arrested and charged]
On January 13, 2005, Tevin Parchment, nine, was killed along with sister and Richard Miller, 24. They were murdered in their house in Gordon Town, St. Andrew. The police speculate they were killed because they were thought to be informers. [case closed]
On June 6, Shantel Miller, 11, her 60-year-old grandfather, Fitz Johnson, and an uncle, were murdered while sleeping in their house in Buck Town, Spanish Town, St. Catherine. The police report that men knocked on the door and entered the house firing shots. Miller and her grandfather died on the spot while her uncle died later in hospital. Her nine-year-old cousin was grazed by a bullet.
Residents said 34 spent shells were found in the house.
GANG MEMBERS
"Dem claim seh a man from Gordon Pen do it but a di same man dem from in a di area do it," said an uncle of Miller.
"Likkle before it happen some shot did fire di night before a waan bar an dem seh a Gordon Pen man dem responsible. So di nex night now di man dem come an spray di house because dem seh we have relative over Gordon Pen," he said.
Residents believe the men involved were killed by their fellow gang members. [suspect killed, case closed]
Two weeks later, gunmen from another lane sprayed a section of York Avenue with bullets. During the shooting, Toni-Ann Thomas was shot. Her father was shot on the finger. [case open]
In October, Rodaine Powell, three, was at home with mother Rosemarie Lyttle, her son Oshane Walker on Hanover Street when men kicked open their door and fired several shots hitting occupants all over their bodies. [one man arrested]
December saw the death of Oksana Douglas, seven who was killed in a drive-by on Tower Avenue, Olympic Gardens.
"One of the suspects was killed by his cronies but others are still at large," said Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Michael Phipps, officer in charge of crime for St. Andrew South Division. [case open]
Aside from those deaths, several murders involved family members or fellow teenagers. For 2004, family members and the victims peers accounted for 10 of the murders. Interestingly, five of the 10 deaths were babies whose ages ranged from four months to one-year-old. For 2005, only three children were killed by a member of their family.
In that case, Shadece Williams, four; Stacy-ann Gardener 13 and Dwayne Davidson 15 were killed in Kilancholy, St. Mary in January. They were reportedly stabbed to death by their uncle.
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