Two murders in five days

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Parent Category: Jan 2012

Category: Week end Jan 14th, 2012

Published on Sunday, 22 January 2012 15:33

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The New Year has started disastrously in Grenada with the island being hit by two murders within five days.  The first victim was 60-year old Marjorie Laurian Redhead, proprietor of Lourina Tiles & Lights who allegedly lost her life last week Tuesday at the hands of one of her employees, Kevin Morris of Grand Mal (Calabash Alley), St. George’s.

Ms. Redhead who spent many years living in England and operated her business place at Woodlands, St. George’s, was reported missing on January 3. The following day, the business lady who resides at Parade, St. George’s was discovered dead at the shore line of Quarantine Point, Morne Rouge, St. George’s by a party of police officers headed by Superintendent Anthony Joseph, Officer in Charge of the Criminal Investigation Department.

Her death came one week after Redhead had lodged a complaint to the police in connection with a break into her business place and an undisclosed amount of monies missing. A police source told THE NEW TODAY Newspaper the lady’s body was discovered at about 7:45 p.m. last week Wednesday and bore some scratches and bruises over her right eye.

Redhead had left her rented apartment at Parade, St. George’s for her workplace early Tuesday morning but failed to show up. The red flag was raised by an employee at the business premises who alerted the lawmen when her boss failed to show up for work that day.

A neighbour reportedly told the police that she saw Redhead early that morning getting into a vehicle that had been parked outside the building. Armed with a description of the vehicle, the police investigation led them to the 20-year old accused man who is a warehouse clerk at Lourina Tiles & Light.

A high level source told THE NEW TODAY Newspaper that Morris admitted that he drove his silver Escudo van registration number PV578 to Parade in order to give his boss a ride to her office. Morris is said to have given the investigating officers conflicting reports on what happened after he picked up Ms. Redhead.

He allegedly told officers that he took the lady straight to the Bus Terminal on Melville Street to get a bus to take her to the workplace. He also indicated that Redhead became sick while on their way to work, was vomiting blood and at one stage knocked her head on the dashboard and lost consciousness.

The young man reportedly told the police investigators he became frightened and drove the lady to Quarantine Point that is frequently used as a lime-out spot where he placed her on the lawn and went away. The police search party also discovered a pearl hand band on the ground overlooking the sea.

After hours of interrogation, Morris led a party of police officers to the Quarantine area where Ms. Redhead was discovered lying on her back with all of her undergarments disturbed. It is believed she was raped. Morris appeared at the St. George’s Number One Magistrate’s Court on Monday and was remanded in custody by Chief Magistrate Tamara Gill at the Richmond Hill Prison until January 30 when he is due back in court.

The suspect is being represented by Attorney-at-Law, Cajeton Hood. Five days after the death of Redhead, another murder was recorded in the Spice isle when Ronald Francis Stephen alias Redman lost his life in Belmont, St. George’s on Sunday.

The 23-year old Carenage resident was at the time having his hair platted when the assault was launched on him. He allegedly received a single stab wound to the heart Sunday by 21-year old Paddock, St. George’s resident, Sheldon Payne. A family source told THE NEW TODAY that Stephen who was employed as a maintenance worker with Port Louis was owing Payne $20.00 for some oranges.

The source said Stephen reportedly told Payne he only had a $100.00 bill on him and advised him to wait until he was finished having his hair platted so that he can have the money changed to pay him. This newspaper learnt that the murder accused lingered around for a short while without raising any suspicion, and in a split second, he allegedly inflicted the fatal stab wound on Stephen.

Mother of the deceased, Jacintha Stephen told reporters that hours before her son’s death she had interacted with him. The distraught mother spoke of having a “nice relationship” with Redman whom she described as a loving child. Stephen said that in the final conversation with her son, he told her that he loved her and promised to provide her with some breadfruits.

The grieving mother spoke of urging her son to go and have his hair platted. She said that moments after arriving at her home in La Borie, St. George’s, she received the sad news of the death. Brother of the deceased, Ornon Matthew Stephen described his brother’s death as “a great loss” for the entire family. The bigger brother said although the deceased was his last brother, he (the dead man) was like a counselor to him.

“He was the one I could rely on. If I call him he would listen to me. He was there through trials and pain, and ups and downs, and now he is gone, I’ll miss him a lot,” he remarked. Stephen spoke of his brother being a peaceful person, and the family, being in shock has found it hard to understand why someone would want to take his life.

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