By Floyd French
Observer Reporter
(Basseterre, St. Kitts) – Police are investigating the ninth murder of 2008, which claimed the life of Chesil Fraites Richardson, 25, of Conaree Village.
On Monday, May 19, at 9:21,p.m., police responded to a report of gunshots in Conaree and found the body of Mr. Richardson on its back on a bench. He had wounds to his neck and head, the police report stated. The District Medical Doctor visited the scene and pronounced him dead.
One week prior to the fatal shooting which claimed his life, Mr. Richardson was shot at and sustained injuries to his right shoulder and the back of his neck. Police investigations, then, revealed that Richardson was shot around 3 a.m. on May 12 while at a residence in the Buckley’s Estate area.
Police arrested and charged Ms. Annette Phillip of Buckley’s Estate and Mr. Kegel Phipps of Fort Thomas for the May 12 shooting. The two were in police custody at the time of Richardson ’s murder.
The police do not have any suspects in connection to the murder. Persons with information are asked to call the Criminal Investigation Department at 465-2241 ext. 236, 220, 230 or the crime hotline at 707. Information received will be treated with strict confidence.
So far police have made arrests in four of the nine murders to date.
The eighth murder was that of Gregory Zakers. Mr. Zakers’ partially nude body was found by tourists at Black Rock on April 12. Pathologist Dr. Stephen Jones reported that Mr. Zakers died of severe traumatic head injury caused by a blunt object.
Six people have been charged in Mr. Zakers’ murder. They are:
Moses Gardner, 22; Jomi Rawlins,19; Clyde Norford, 25; Nelson Challengers, 18; Shenroy Francis 18 and an unnamed juvenile, 17. The six young men are from St. Paul’s Village.
On Monday, April 7, Lionel Warner, alias “Shaggy” of Dieppe Bay was arrested and charged for the murder of Alphonso Richards, 25, alias “Bobo Hortical” of St. Pauls Village. The murder was committed on Saturday, April 5. During an altercation, Mr. Warner allegedly stabbed Mr. Richards in the abdomen. Warner subsequently surrendered himself at the Basseterre Police Station .
Wycliffe “Wicked” Liburd was charged in the gun murder of Charles Matthew. Mr. Matthew was gunned down on Apr. 18 shortly after 11 a.m.
Bishu Issac surrendered to police on April 19 and on April 22 was charged in the murder of Tau Gowan, 26. At about 8 p.m. on April 18, 2008, police responded to a report of stabbing at the junction on Market and Central Streets, where they found Mr. Gowan dead at the scene.
Police have yet to make arrests in the murders of Leon ‘Gravo’ Westerman, Derrick ‘Jake’ Gumbs Jr., Leon Willock and Orlando ‘Snoop’ Williams.
