Murder stands at #100

Murder now stands at #50 as of Thursday September 04th 2015,

THE country’s murder count for the year now officially stands at 100 - after police yesterday

classified the death of a man, whose family believes was beaten and robbed before he died in hospital last week, as a homicide.

#Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander told The Tribune that police have two persons in custody for questioning in connection with the murder investigation.

#Police launched an official investigation into the death of 64-year-old John Henry Frazier on Monday, after he was taken to the Princess Margaret Hospital on August 24 suffering from injuries to the body. He died in hospital on August 26.

#Initially police said an autopsy would have to be performed to determine the exact cause of death. They did not immediately classify the death as a homicide.

#A relative told The Tribune that Frazier, who also went by the name John Chanler, was assaulted while attempting to repair a flat tyre on his vehicle in the Collins Avenue and Gibbs Corner area.

#The relative said the attack happened around 4pm on Tuesday last week, although police have said Mr Frazier arrived at the hospital a day earlier.

#A relative of the deceased told The Tribune that on his way to the PMH, Frazier managed to contact his mother, informing her of what had happened to him. Later hospital officials told his mother that he would require an emergency procedure after medical tests showed severe bleeding in his skull, The Tribune was told.

#The relative said while in surgery, Frazier’s heart failed and he was pronounced dead a short time later.

#The victim’s younger sister, Jackie Frazier, when contacted for comment, claimed the family was forced to piece together small facts gathered through phone calls that relatives had with the victim hours before his death.

#“We are struggling to understand this,” she said during a recent interview. “All we know at this time is that he was struck in the head … drove himself to the hospital and that he had to have surgery.”

#The country’s murder count so far this year continues to outpace the figure for last year at this point. At the end of August 2014, the country had recorded 84 homicides, according to police statistics.

#Last year, the Bahamas did not record 100 murders until the first week of November.

#Earlier this week, National Security Minister Dr Bernard Nottage said the government could not “wave a magic wand” and erase crime, adding that those who expect a quick fix on the problem are in for a “sad awakening.”

Murder count #99 31/08/2015

Murder count stands at #99 as of Monday August 31 2015,

A 24-year-old man was shot in the back of his head and killed early yesterday morning at his home off Fire Trail Road.

#Police have not identified the victim, but family members said he is Omar Barton, a father-of-one.

#Chief Superintendent Clayton Fernander, acting officer-in-charge of the Central Detective Unit, said police received reports shortly after 3.30am that shots were heard inside a home in the Jubilee Gardens subdivision.

#“When police arrived on the scene, they found the lifeless body of a male in the front section of the home with a gunshot wound. Police do not have a motive for the shooting at this time. However, we have an adult male in custody who is assisting us with this investigation,” Chief Supt Fernander said.

#Mr Barton’s brother, Oneil Thurston, admitted that his brother was “no angel” and had “run ins with the law”, but said he did not deserve to die.

#“He was not a perfect person. He had his ups and downs with the law, but he loved his family and we loved him,” Mr Thurston told The Tribune.

#“He got into trouble when he was growing up but it was nothing serious, petty theft and smoking and stuff but he did not have a record and he did not do anything serious. He was working for himself and getting himself together.

#“We think this is a domestic incident and we think someone knows something. We just want justice for him. That’s all my mother wants and she isn’t doing very well right now.”

#This latest homicide brought the country’s murder count to 99 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.

Murder count #98

Murder stands at #98 as of Saturday 29 August 2015,

ONE MAN is dead and two other men are fighting for their lives in hospital after they were shot in two separate incidents early Saturday morning.

#The latest incident took place shortly after 2am on Minnie Street.

#Police said they received information that several shots were fired in the Wulff Road area. When officers arrived on the scene, they found two men lying on the ground suffering from multiple gunshots wounds. One man died on the scene a short while later he has been identified as Quincy Ferguson and the other victim was taken to hospital by ambulance where he is listed in critical condition.

#This latest homicide takes the country’s murder count to 98 for the year, according to The Tribune’s records.