SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth – The Maggoty Police in St Elizabeth say they are probing the circumstances under which two females – including a 14-year-old student of Hampton High School – were seriously wounded and their alleged attacker found hanging yesterday morning in Maggotty.

The dead man has been identified as John Peart, 40, farmer, while injured are Delvarine Raybe, 30, and 14- year-old student Shamerica Bicari – all residents of Breadnut Walk in Maggotty.

Peart’s death has brought to four, the number of suspected suicides – two teenagers included – in St Elizabeth over the past week.

In the latest incident, the Constabulary Communication Network is reporting that at about 1:30 am yesterday morning, the three were involved in a dispute during which Peart reportedly used a machete to chop both the woman and the girl several times. He fled the scene. The injured were taken to hospital where they were admitted in serious condition.

About 6:45 am residents saw Peart’s body hanging by a length of electrical wire from a mango tree in the community.

On Wednesday January 21, 19-year-old Dario Ebanks, who police reports say quarrelled with his mother over $500 was found dead, hanging by his belt from a tree close to his house at Flaggaman in South St Elizabeth.

On Saturday January 24, the body of 33-year-old Chrishna McNickle of Aberdeen district, who was said to be of unsound mind, was found hanging by a length of rope from a mango tree at Aberdeen district.

Then on Sunday, January 25 the body of 18-year-old Oshane Brown of Clifton district in the New Market area of North-west St Elizabeth was found hanging from an ackee tree at his home.