WESTERN BUREAU – The police have not yet established a motive for Tuesday’s murder of ex-convict, Dwayne “Chummy” Smith at Norwood in Montego Bay.

His slaying pushed the murder toll in St James to 88 since the start of the year.

The 20 year-old, who was convicted of rape over two years ago, was shot execution style by gunmen who attacked him after 12:00 am on Tuesday. His body was found by a passer-by along a dirt track near the Norwood Basic School about a half an hour after the incident. Smith was shot in the back of the head, with the bullet exiting his left eye, according to citizens.

Constable Camille Tracy, the Constabulary Communication Network officer for St James, said citizens alerted the police after hearing gunshots in the area. On arrival, she said police investigators conducted a search of the area and found the body in the dirt track. Smith, the Constable added, was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Smith’s mother, Joy Maine, said she believed her son was murdered because of the company he kept – despite his recent baptism at the Pentecostal church in Glendevon. At the same time, she said a young woman had warned her Monday that her son would be killed because he had stolen a number of items.

“Yesterday (Monday) mi go downtown, mi si a girl. She tell mi seh “Chummy” t’ief weh five pair(s) of shoes, and she seh to me seh him a go lose him hand by iniquity or him a go dead,” Maine told the Observer.

Added she: “She said when she asked Smith about the stolen shoes he denied taking them. Yesterday him come to mi and mi give him some rice and peas and chicken and some Lasco – that was the last time I see “Chummy”, mi nuh si him again.”

Some citizens have said in the interim that Smith’s death was imminent since his name had been called in a number of house-breaking and larceny incidents.

“A long time him fi dead, the only problem is, dem shouldn’t kill him yah so,” said a taxi driver who lived near the murder scene.

A female resident echoed his sentiments.

“From mi hear seh him bruk inna the (manse of the Norwood Wesleyan Holiness) church mi know seh him soon dead,” she said.