Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 4, 2018 – June was the bloodiest month in St. Kitts and Nevis in 2017. The year also saw the murder of two teenagers, three females and an unprecedented six small businessmen.
According to available statistics 20 males and three females were murdered in 2017. There were two double murders in the Federation and Nevis recorded its deadliest year ever with nine murders.
Nineteen of the victims murdered were shot, while three died from stab wounds. There is no public information on the cause of death of 17-year-old Leanna Napoleon, who went missing and whose bound body was found in a makeshift grave. Napoleon was one of two teenagers murdered. 15-year-old Ashanafi Saddler was stabbed to death by his elder brother.
Six murders were committed in the month of July, four in March, three in April, two in the months of October and November and one murder each in the months of January, February, May, July, August and December. September was the only month in 2017 that no know murder occurred.
Four of the six businessmen gunned down operated on St. Kitts. Luis Garcia exchanged cash for gold; Gregory Mills owned a Pizza business; Sean “Spajal” Smith, owned and operated a first-class computer, security systems, mobile locking and repair services and Dennis “Bun Up” Liburd, a small shop. The two Nevisian businessmen who died tragically were Philsha’s Guest House owner, Joseph Benjamin and Lincoln Liburd, who sold clothing and other products from a vehicle.
The double murders were Smith and Liburd in St. Kitts on June 3 and Elvis Lawrence and Shariff Williams of Nevis on April 25.
Morella Webbe and Lydia Jacobs were the two adult women who were killed in a hail of bullets in separate incidents on Nevis.
Eight of the victims were between 20 and 29 years old. Four between 30 and 39 years; four between 40 and 49 years; two between 50 and 59 years and one over 60 years.
The list of murders in 2017 are as follows:
Murder # 1 – January 29th – 44-year-old Leon Gumbs of Morning Star, Nevis found dead in his home with two gunshot wounds to the body.
Murder #2 – February 1st – 39-year-old Venezuela-born Cash for Gold businessman, Luis Garcia, was shot and killed mid-morning on Manchester Ave, St, Kitts.
Murder # 3 – March 10th – 54-year-old Ashton Christopher of Taylors Village, St. Kitts was stabbed to death.
Murder # 4 – March 25th – 15-year-old Ashanafi Saddler was stabbed to death at Janet Alley, St. Kitts, by his 21-year-old brother Kareem Chumney.
Murder # 5 – March 26th – 23-year-old Rondell Chapman of Rawlins Village, Gingerland, Nevis, shot and killed.
Murder # 6 – March 28th – Akeem ‘Ratty’ Bryan was shot dead in Newton Ground, St. Kitts.
Murder #7 – April 17th – 28-year-old Cotton Ground villager, Morella Webbe was shot and killed.
Murders # 8 and #9 – April 25th – 21-year-old Elvis Lawrence and 25-year-old Shariff Williams of Cotton Ground, Nevis, shot and killed.
Murder #10 – May 9th – 27-year-old Gregory Mills, a Pizza businessman shot and killed at Gillard’s, St. Kitts.
Murder #11 – June 2nd – 37-year-old Lydia Jacobs was gunned down outside her home in Church Ground, Nevis.
Murders #12 and #13 – June 3rd – 41-year-old businessman Sean “Spajal” Smith of Taylors and 46-year-old Dennis “Bun Up” Liburd, also a businessman of Mc Knight gunned down at Taylor’s Village, St. Kitts.
Murder #14 – June 6th – 32-year-old Jahma Francis of St. Paul’s, St. Kitts was shot and killed.
Murder #15 – June 14th – the body of missing 17-year-old Leanna Napoleon of Keys was found in a shallow grave at Olivees Mountain.
Murder #16 – June 24th – 31-year-old Darnell Govia of Phillips’ shot and killed at the J.N. France General Hospital, St. Kitts.
Murder #17 – July 4th – 26-year-old Kishorne “Duppy” Edwards shot and killed in his vehicle in Ottley’s, St. Kitts.
Murder #18 – August 21st – 63-year-old Benjamin Joseph died after he was shot and injured on August 19th at Pinney’s Beach, Nevis.
Murder #19 – 7th October – three armed masked men walked into Biggz Night Club, Old Road and pumped bullets into 44-year-old Daniel Wilkinson of West Farm.
Murder #20 – 9th October – Mervin Flaherty a male national who returned home from Tortola, British Virgin Islands, to bury his mother was stabbed to death in Cayon.
Murder # 21 – November 17 – 56-year-old Lincoln Liburd, a Craddock Road resident shot and killed in Zetland’s, Nevis
Murder #22 – November 25 – 27-year-old Theon Audain also known as Chubby was shot and killed in the Wigley Avenue and Union Street, St. Kitts.
Murder # 23 – December 14, 2017 – Brick Kiln, mid 20’s and resident Japheth Brown, was shot multiple times about his body while in Hull Ground, Gingerland, Nevis.
There were 18 murders in 2012, 21 in 2013, 21 murders in 2014, 28 murders in 2015, 31 murders in 2016 and 23 in 2017.