Who killed ‘Speedy’?

MYSTERY surrounds the circumstances which led to the murder of 23-year-old Laventille resident Michael “Speedy” Joseph, who police believe was beaten to death during an excursion with friends at Sea-Wall beach, Mayaro on Sunday.  

Up to late yesterday, investigators were still trying to gather information to determine what caused the altercation, which led to Joseph who was also called “Pittie Mouse,” of Faith Trace, Laventille being beaten to death and a relative and good friend being seriously wounded. Police were also trying to contact the dead man’s relatives yesterday to have them officially identify the body so an autopsy could be done at the Forensic Sciences Centre to officially ascertain cause of death. Joseph was identified via fingerprints. Joseph’s good friend Oswald Charles, 24, of Fatima Road, Laventille and his half-brother Morris (Joseph) Mason, 18, of Picton Road, Laventille remained warded in serious condition at the San Fernando and Port-of-Spain General Hospitals, respectively. And while investigators still try to piece together the circumstances surrounding Joseph’s murder, residents of Faith Trace, Laventille described their dead fellow villager as a “miserable young man” who gave a lot of trouble. 
          
According to preliminary police reports, around 5.30 pm on Sunday, the men were getting ready to the leave the beach in a maxi-taxi, when the vehicle was blocked by a group of villagers. Reports stated that a confrontation occurred, after one of Joseph’s friends made a lewd remark about one of the female villagers. The quarrel escalated into a fight between the villagers and the Laventille men. During the scuffle it is believed that the three men were over-powered and savagely beaten with heavy pieces of wood.     Joseph who sustained severe injuries to his head and chest, died on the spot. Bleeding from wounds to their heads, his two friends were rushed to the Mayaro District Hospital in EHS ambulance. Charles and Mason were treated and transferred to Ward Seven of the San Fernando General Hospital and Ward 21, of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, respectively. 

Visiting the scene was a party of officers from the Mayaro Police Station coordinated by ACP (East) Nazamul Hosein and Eastern Division Head  — Randolph Protain — led by ASP Chandraban Maharaj and included Insp Edmond Thomas and Cpl Dookie. District Medical Officer Dr Claire examined Joseph’s body and ordered it removed to the Sangre Grande Mortuary. Police sources told Newsday that Mayaro villagers have not come forward to make any report regarding the incident.  Yesterday a party of investigators from the Mayaro police station and San Fernando Homicide Bureau visited the area again and interviewed several villagers. However, sources said that the villagers interviewed denied being involved in the altercation. When Newsday visited Charles, at Ward Seven of the San Fernando General Hospital, nurses said he had  no prior visitors and was asleep in a crouched position with his head heavily bandaged and his face, including the eyes, badly swollen.    
                        
Newsday learnt that Joseph grew up at the St Michael’s Home for Boys but eventually went to Canada to live with an aunt. He had an altercation with his aunt and was sent back to Trinidad. A villager told Newsday that Joseph would have been alive today had he taken his (the villager) advice and not gone on the excursion. “Speedy being Speedy, just said ‘badman have to go too, on that excursion.’ He went free, he ate free and he died free,” stated the villager, who did not want to be identified. When Newsday tried to get comments from Joseph’s relatives, we were sent to several homes, but in each instant, the occupants bluntly said they had nothing to say. One of them even said he could not be bothered by the incident since he had five children of his own to see about. The other men injured in the incident were described as “cool fellas” who liked to lime and play cards. Up to late yesterday no arrests had been made and investigations were continuing.