NINE persons were killed violently between Friday night and yesterday evening in unrelated incidents in Kingston and Hanover, while the bullet-riddled body of a man was found in a house in St Thomas early yesterday morning, bringing the year-to-date murder toll to 603.

The St Thomas police said 24 year-old Simon Spencer of 7 Miles, Bull Bay in St Andrew was at a birth night party when he fell asleep in the house. His body was found at approximately 8:00 am yesterday inside the room with multiple gunshot wounds.

Of the nine murders, three were committed yesterday, starting with the gun slaying of 30 year-old Althea Hinds by her husband, Garfield Hinds, at their Balcombe Drive, Kingston 11 home at approximately 11:00 am. Garfield Hinds turned his gun on himself after killing his wife.

About four-and-a-half hours later, police said Conrad Campbell, 28, otherwise known as “Richie” of a Criag Town address, was chopped and stabbed to death in Leas Flat, a quiet residential community in the Red Hills area of the capital.

According to the police, Campbell and a male companion chartered a taxi from a supermarket off Red Hills Road and headed towards Leas Flat. Upon arrival, they were attacked. The police did not say by whom.

Campbell died instantly, while the driver of the taxi, who was also injured, was taken to hospital. The police said they had no information about the whereabouts of Campbell’s companion.

At about 6:00 pm, another man, who police identified only as 32 year-old “Richie Pooh”, was shot dead by a gunman in the normally busy Barbican square in upper St Andrew.

Up to press time last night, the cops were unable to give a motive for his murder.

Friday night’s murders started with that of 32 year-old Sean Stockhouse, also known as “Parro Man”, of Ebony Road, Olympic Gardens, Kingston 11.

Stockhouse was shot dead at about 7:30.

No one apparently saw who shot him, as the police said they were called by residents who reported hearing gunshots.

Police arrived to find Stockhouse’s body on a dirt track with gunshot wounds.

At about 9:00 pm, residents of Oakland Crescent, off Waltham Park Road, also in Kingston 11, called the police saying that they heard gunshots.

When the cops arrived, they found Theopheilus Admon, 22, dead. Admon lived at nearby Espuet Avenue.

An hour-and-a-half later, three gunmen took the life of 48 year-old Ewart Poorman, the manager for Apollo Taxi Service.

According to the police, Poorman was sitting in his motor vehicle on Retirement Crescent in St Andrew when the three gunmen approached and shot him several times. He died on the spot. The gunmen escaped in a white station wagon motor car, taking Poorman’s loaded 9mm Smith and Wesson pistol, serial number BCU6363.

At 11:00 pm, 21 year-old Mark Johnson of Guava Road, Kingston 11, was shot dead on White Wing Walk in that community.

Johnson’s bullet-riddled body was found lying in an open lot.

Meanwhile, a 47-year-old Hanover man, Gregory Daniels, was chopped to death at his home Friday night.

Police say that Daniels, a welder of Eaton district in Hanover, and a female companion were at home when two men armed with machetes approached the rear window of the house and demanded money. The men broke the window, entered the house and stole $4,000.

The woman managed to escape from the house, drove to the police station and reported the incident. When the police arrived, they found Daniels’ body in bushes outside the house with multiple machete wounds.