WESTERN BUREAU – The brutal murder of a young couple early yesterday rocked the district of Dundee, a usually quiet community in the Maroon Town area of Southern St James.

Milton Ricketts, a 36 year-old taxi operator who was popularly known as “G-Money” died from bullet wounds to the upper parts of his body while his 26 year-old common law wife Nordia Watson died from bullet wounds she received to her body.

The police, who were still sifting through clues at the crime scene up to late yesterday, said the bodies were discovered at the young couple’s home at about 1:30 am yesterday.

Rickett’s body was found lying on the ground, face down in a pool of blood in the back room of the three-bedroom house, while his spouse’s body was discovered on its back in the front room.

The police said shortly after 1:00 am, residents heard explosions and cries for help coming from the house occupied by the couple.

Shortly afterwards, they discovered that the couple had been shot.

Lawmen said nothing appeared to have been taken from the home, noting that money was seen on a dresser in one of the bedrooms.

One resident told the Observer that he saw a “strange” motor vehicle driving slowly in the community just before the shooting. However, he said he did not take note of the occupants of the vehicle.

Most of the residents were, however, tightlipped about the incident.

“Boss mi nuh know nothing what happen, mi have one pickney to live fah,” a young man remarked.

But as news of the couple’s death spread in the quiet farming community, several relatives and friends gathered outside the house to express their grief.

Mable Forbes, Ricketts’ sister, got the sad news shortly after 8:00 yesterday morning when she received a telephone call while she was at home in Hartford, Westmoreland, more than 50 miles away.

“When I got the phone call, I could not believe it because my brother was a good man,” Forbes said as tears welled up in her eyes.

“I can’t see why anybody would want to kill G-Money, because he is so good to everybody,” she added.

Several taxi operators from St James were among the many persons at the murder scene early in the morning.

One of the taximen, who did not want his name to be used, said that G-Money, who operated on the Maroon Town to Montego Bay route for more than 10 years, was one of the most committed taxi operators in the parish.

“G-Money was dedicated to the taxi work, and he was always trying to help people,” he said.