THE bodies of three men, who the police believe were robbed and then executed, were found yesterday on Saunders Avenue and Vernon Lane, in the depressed and volatile Mountain View area of Kingston, the nation’s capital.

The men, one of whom police sources say was associated with the British Link Up Crew, that promotes dancehall events across the island, have been identified as:

* Winston Edwards, otherwise called Chin, of Wavell Avenue in Kingston;

* Devon Hutchinson, 44, of Waltham Park Road, also in Kingston, and

* Michael Duffus, whose address was not ascertained.

Hutchinson, according to the police, was found lying face down on Saunders Avenue, while Edwards and Duffus were in a grey Toyota Mark II motorcar on Vernon Lane, both off Mountain View Avenue.

The police said Edwards, the driver of the car, and who was still alive up to the time when he was discovered, was taken to hospital and later died while undergoing treatment.

Police sources say all three may have been robbed of their valuables, then shot dead.

“At about 11:15 am, residents reportedly heard explosions in the Saunders Lane area. The police were summoned and on their arrival Hutchinson’s body was found on Saunders Lane with multiple gunshot wounds,” said the Constabulary Communication Network (CCN), the police’s information arm.

It added that further investigations led the police to the nearby Vernon Lane, where a bullet-riddled Toyota Mark ll motorcar, registered 5836 DK was seen. Inside were Duffus’ body and Edwards, who was suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to the Kingston Public Hospital where he died while undergoing treatment.

Television reports last night were that a fourth man who may have been in the car escaped injury. But the CCN said last night it had no information on a fourth person escaping.

The men all had with them their passports, while Duffus had airline tickets and was scheduled to leave for Heathrow in London later this week.

Several areas in Mountain View were last year the scenes of several murders, many of which were linked to feuds between factions in the ruling People’s National Party and the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party.

It was also the area where terrorist gunmen engaged members of the security forces for hours in April 2000.

During the upsurge of violence in the area last year, houses were fire-bombed and several residents were forced to flee their homes. Attempts were, however, made by the Church and the major political parties to bring back peace to the community, and on National Heroes Day, October 15, a prayer meeting was held at Mountain View Avenue, and Saunders Avenue. Tears flowed as the people prayed for an end of the bloodletting in the area.

Last week a woman travelling in a motorcar and a sideman on truck were shot and injured, in separate early morning incidents, while they travelled on Mountain View Avenue.