TRAGEDY struck national hurdles record holder Dwight Thomas just over a month before this summer’s IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea after his father, Aston was stabbed to death in an apparent robbery attempt in Glengoffe, St Catherine on Sunday night.

Speaking to the Observer from Bremen, Germany yesterday, Thomas said he received a call from his mother early yesterday morning informing him of the news.

“My mom called me and told me they broke into his house (around 10:00 pm) and I guess killed him in cold blood. They broke in his house with a machete and chopped him to death,” Thomas, affectionately known as ‘Bigga’, said.

The Florida-based Thomas, who was headed to Lausanne, Switzerland for an IAAF meeting there later this week, told the Observer that he was close to his dad whom he saw less than a month ago when he was in the island for the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships.

The pair had been making plans for his father to visit him in Orlando.

“That’s the last time I saw him. He came to see me everyday,” Thomas said. “He was supposed to come to the US and we were just planning for that when he come up to the States and see his sister.

The athlete added that his twin brother was also shaken up by the news of their father’s death, while he had heard words on consolation from his team mates Danny McFarlane, Sanjay Ayre, and Sekou Clarke, as well as his training partner, David Oliver.

Thomas was at a loss as to a possible motive for the murder.

“That’s the thing we’d love to find out what’s the motive because we don’t do anybody nothing. It was done in cold blood. That’s what really touch me. Apart from that I’ll be fine I think.”

Thomas’ mother, Pearline Reid, who also lives in Florida but is in Jamaica on vacation, visited the house yesterday and told the Observer that the evidence suggested that thieves had tried to take a van that ‘Escal’ owned.

“They look like them shot him. Them get the key off the van but they couldn’t get the van. It was a wrecker the police call to take it away this morning.”

Constabulary Communications Network (CCN) reports confirmed that the motive appeared to be robbery.

A distraught Reid broke down as she described her children’s father as a peace-loving man: “Him nuh deserve it. Him so quiet and nice,” she cried.

Meanwhile, Thomas said he would have another meet in Stockholm, Sweden on July 29 before returning home for the funeral.

“I want to make sure that justice is served. That’s the most important thing for me right now and the World Championships.”

The athlete, who was a runner-up in the 110m hurdles at last month’s trials, said that he hoped there would be a quick breakthrough in the investigations.

“I’ve done so much for Jamaica that’s what I would ask back for. That it get a thorough investigation.”

Meanwhile, with only five weeks remaining for the biggest track event of the year, Thomas said he would still be focussing on what he needs to do, difficult as that would be.

“Mentally it’s going to be on your conscience. On your mind. But you just have to keep strong. You know how Jamaicans are. We like to keep strong. (But) Everything that I do it’s for him. If I win the World Championships it’s for him. Hopefully I get great results for the rest of the season and it’s all for him.”