Two murders mar holiday

POLICE counted more than 13 wounds on the body of retired police Insp Kenneth Best, who was stabbed to death yesterday at a house in D’Abadie, allegedly by a female outpatient of the St Ann’s Mental Hospital. The 28-year-old woman was in police custody last night, assisting police with their investigations. She is expected to be charged with either murder or manslaughter depending on how the investigations unfold, police said. It is reported that sometime after 1 pm yesterday, Best, 53, went to a house off Alfred Olton Trace at the request of the suspect. The house is owned by Jamaican national Lorna Alleyne, 42, a polio victim. Police said neighbours told them that they first heard quarrelling, followed by the sound of a scuffle.  Shortly after, police said the retired cop, father of three, was found in a pool of blood in the living room area. Before his retirement from the police service approximately two years ago, reports are that Best was suspended on enquiries relating to the theft of firearms from the St James Barracks, where he was an armourer.

A party of officers headed by Sr Supt Rodvan Bastien and including ASPs Errol Dillon and Wesley Moore, Homicide officer Insp Lester Hutchings, Cpl Jones and others visited the scene of yesterday’s incident and conducted investigations.  A kitchen knife was seized and the suspect arrested on the premises. Police on the scene yesterday said neighbours called in the Arima police on Wednesday after the suspect allegedly chopped a tree and threw some filth onto the porch. In an interview at her home yesterday, Alleyne, who said she is the suspect’s adopted mother, told reporters that the suspect and Best usually visited her home. Best and the suspect lived at Spring Trace, Windy Hill, Arouca, and Emperor Boulevard, Bon Air Gardens. She said the suspect’s mother built a place for her in Bon Air, but that the suspect did not like to be alone. Alleyne said she was in her bedroom when she heard the sound of what seemed to be a fight.  She said she decided not to investigate because she felt it was a domestic matter.

Alleyne added that she eventually fell asleep and a neighbour woke her up saying: “Lorna get up.  You have a dead man in your drawing room.” The Jamaican national said she came out and saw the body. She said the suspect was still sitting in her home. Alleyne could not say if Best and the suspect had any problems.  She added that they had been together for about two years. At Emperor Boulevard, a man who said he was a close friend of Best, said he often warned the deceased about the mentally-ill woman, whom Best had accused of stealing $100 from him on Thursday. An assistant nurse at the St Ann’s Hospital who lived in the same area said Best called her yesterday morning saying he was coming for lunch. She said she never saw him and believed he would have showed up later in the day. The St Ann’s employee also said she treated the suspect at the mental institution a few years ago on Ward 9. She added that the suepct has been outside a couple of years now, but used to come for treatment. District Medical Officer (DMO) Dr Kevin Antoine viewed the body and ordered its removal to the Port-of-Spain mortuary. An autopsy will be conducted on Monday at the Forensic Science Centre. Investigations are continuing.

Man gunned down on Nelson Street

By WENDY CAMPBELL

YESTERDAY’S shooting death of Steve Hall, father of two daughters, remained a mystery to police officers up to late evening. However, police sources said they are not ruling out the possibility of a drug connection in the killing of Hall. The 35-year-old man, of First Street, San Juan, once worked as a meat vendor at the San Juan market. The assailant who was said to have hurried away following the shooting, had not been caught up to late yesterday evening. He reportedly ran through the Nelson Street apartment buildings, leaving behind his black rubber slippers and a navy blue hat, which were seized by the police. Describing the shooting as an assassination, police sources said sometime after 8 am yesterday, Hall, was sitting in his red Honda Civic vehicle, between apartments 51-53 and 55-57 on Nelson Street. Lawmen said an unknown male shooter approached the vehicle from the left front glass window and fired approximately seven shots at Hall, who was seated in the front passenger seat.  He was alone. A woman told police that her husband found Hall sitting in the blood soaked vehicle.  The man took him to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, in Hall’s vehicle.

Police said the woman refused to volunteer any other information. Hall, however, was pronounced dead on arrival at the Casualty Department by Dr Joanne Kissoon. A report was made and a party of officers headed by ASP Terry Young and including Insp Manechand Ramnarine, Sgt Wood, Cpls Henry Dann and Forde and others visited the scene and conducted investigations. No spent shells were found in the vehicle, which was taken away to be expertly examined. Police were unable to determine what kind of firearm was used. At his home yesterday, Hall’s common-law-wife Roxanne Hall told Newsday that the last time she saw Hall was yesterday morning before he left home. She said he did not tell her where he was going. His mother Evelyn Hall said her son received a telephone call and that he told the people on the other line to wait for him.  “I feel he knew them,” Evelyn said, adding she had no idea why anyone would want to kill her son. She said at the time of his death he was involved in straightening and painting at his home. His sister Lisa Hall, described her brother as a “good person” and wanted to know what had become of the gold jewelry that her brother was wearing at the time of his death. Officers said they found $263 in Hall’s possession. Cpl Henry Dann of the Besson Street Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is continuing investigations.