THE police yesterday shot and killed a man they claimed was a prime suspect in the abduction, rape and murder of two women, and the attempted murder of another, after the three were taken at gunpoint from a bar in Newport West in Kingston last October.

Additionally, Deputy Superintendent Michael Phipps from the St Andrew South Police said they are closing in on seven other suspects in connection with the death of the women.

Phipps told the Sunday Observer that the police, acting on a tip, went in search of Mark ‘Moonie’ Johnson, whom they were told was hiding at Norman Land, off Spanish Town Road, and that he was armed.

“At about 10:20 am this morning (Saturday), the police accosted him and he fired shots at the police,” said the deputy superintendent, in the standard format that the police use to report such confrontations.

“The police returned fire, and he was hit and taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.”

Moonie has been wanted since the October 20 incident.

At approximately 9:00 pm on October 20, 2005, three men armed with guns, entered a bar along First Street in Newport West and, after robbing customers, forced the three women into a car.

Simone Vernon and Catrina Webb, both 20, were killed. The other woman crawled to safety, after being left for dead in a sewerage canal, and reported the crime.

Police say all three women were taken to Greenwich Town, raped, shot, then thrown into the canal and left for dead.

A month later the police arrested and charged four persons, including a 13-year-old boy, in connection with the death of the women, among them Alton ‘Sickhead’ Heath, Stephan ‘Gary’ Needam, and Hardley ‘Godfrey’ Garrick.

Needham, the alleged area leader for the community, is reported to have been at the scene during the rape, but failed to stop the men from carrying out the attack. He has been charged with aiding and abetting.

Garrick, a taxi operator, is reported to have used his cab to transport the men who carried out the attack, and jump-started a stolen car found at the crime scene.

The 13-year-old boy was charged following his confession that he participated in the sexual assault on the women.

The four are before the court.