ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica – Head of the St Elizabeth Police Division Superintendent Lanford Salmon says that a J$1-million reward is still being offered to anyone who assists in the arrest of Anward Hinds, otherwise called ‘Kirkie’.

Hinds is said to be linked to at least seven murders in the parish from October 2014 to present, the latest being a quadruple murder in May.

News of the brutal murder of four farmers – Archibald Brown, 60; his brother George Brown, 57; Maurice Sanderson, 40; and Ezra Wright, 73, in the remote community of Claremont in North West St Elizabeth, rocked the nation on May 27.

Police reports say that about eight o’clock that night, during a power outage, three of the four victims – Archibald Brown, Sanderson and Wright – were playing dominoes by candlelight at a small shop operated by Wright’s granddaughter, when three armed men entered.

They are said to have pushed the young woman away and opened fire on the three men, shooting them multiple times. They died on the spot.

The men reportedly encountered George Brown some distance away, shot him and slit his throat.

The tragedy is suspected to have been triggered by a dispute between Wright and criminal elements, believed to be remnants of the Stone Crusher gang, operating in the mountainous terrain on the St Elizabeth/St James border.

Salmon told OBSERVER ONLINE that a joint police/military operation has been ongoing in sections of the parish, including Claremont, since last Thursday.

“We won’t relent until he is captured,” he said.

Salmon said that ‘Kirkie’, who is from Claremont and frequents St James and places in St Elizabeth such as Pisgah, Breadnut Walk and Ginger Hill, is believed to be the leader of the gang creating the unease among residents.

He said that he is about 26-years-old, five feet four inches tall, may be sporting cornrows, has “duck” legs, has a wart on his left cheek, and is a bit darker than the photograph of him.

Salmon said that the two other men who were involved in the Claremont incident are still at large and even they and others of his “cronies” are “eligible” to be rewarded with the J$1 million if they assist in having the gang leader arrested.

People with information can contact 119, Crime Stop at 311, Kingfish at 811, the Black River Criminal Investigation Branch at 965-2026, or the nearest police station.

Alicia Sutherland