MONTEGO BAY, St James – The murder toll in the parish of St James surged past the 100 mark Thursday following the stabbing death of a taxi operator in the parish and the discovery of an unidentified man here yesterday morning.

The number of recorded murders in the parish now stands at 101. Last year 132 persons were murdered in the parish for the entire year.

The Montego Bay police said yesterday that they were searching for Jermaine Campbell, alias Cheng Cheng, who they believe can assist them in their investigations in the stabbing death of a taxi operator in the parish.

The dead cabbie has been identified as Melsha Hayles, 44, of Cambridge in the parish.

The Constabulary Communication Network reported that at about 7:30 pm Thursday, the two men were involved in a dispute in their community. The argument developed into a fight during which a knife was allegedly used to stab Hayles.

The police were summoned and the injured man was taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, in the other incident the unidentified body of a man, believed to be in his early 20s, was discovered by the Montego Bay police in the vicinity of Cornwall College yesterday morning.

The body, was clad in a pair of blue jeans and a blue and grey tee-shirt, had a gunshot wound to the mouth.