LUCEA, Hanover – Senior investigators have ruled out robbery as the motive behind yesterday’s murder of 89-year-old pensioner Beatrice Watson, affectionately called ‘Auntie’, of a Esher address in Lucea, Hanover.

The body of the blind, elderly woman, who lived alone, was discovered by her helper early yesterday morning.

The police believe the senior citizen was strangled with window curtains, which were also used to gag her.

The police say Watson’s helper discovered her lifeless body with the curtain entwined around the neck.

A police source told the Observer that theft was not believed to be behind the homicide, as an undisclosed sum of money was found inside the house.

As news broke of the ghastly killing, scores of angry residents gathered at the scene, condemning the brutal act. Some stood dumbstruck.

One man who said he was a nephew of the murdered woman was overwhelmed with grief.

“Me don’t feel good. A trouble if me catch who do it,” said the man, who did not wish to be named.

The residents say Watson was a kind and jovial person. The devoted Roman Catholic returned home to Jamaica from the United Kingdom after working in that country for a number of years.

Watson’s murder was only one of several that kept the police busy over the weekend. An unconfirmed 40 murders have been reported across the island since the start of the year.

In May Pen, Clarendon, a common-law couple – Delroy Bell, 43, and Suzette Bonnick, 34 – were shot to death at their home on Jackson Street around 8:05 Saturday night.

In Spanish Town, St Catherine, 35-year-old Carl Harvey was stabbed to death on Saturday morning at his home by an unknown assailant.

On Friday afternoon, August Town resident Brenton ‘Weedy’ Gordon, 43, was also shot to death after leaving the bar at which he was drinking to relieve himself.

And yesterday in Annotto Bay, St Mary, the body of an unidentified man was discovered minutes to 6:00 in the afternoon.

On Friday and Sunday two persons – including a 16-year-old high school boy – were fatally shot by the police, reportedly during shoot-outs.

Odane Martin of the Dinthill Technical High School was killed at Vanity Fair in Linstead, St Catherine shortly after allegedly pulling off a daylight robbery with another man.

In Montego Bay, St James, Dwayne ‘Bunny’ Murray, a man wanted by the police for several murders, was fatally wounded early yesterday morning after he and two other men reportedly challenged a police party along Church Lane.