HAGUE, Trelawny — Up to late yesterday the Falmouth police were still interrogating a suspect who was taken into custody on Tuesday in connection with the beheading of 70-year-old Seston Walters, affectionately called “Bruce,” a popular taxi operator of a Cave Island address in Hague, Trelawny.

According to the police at about 4:00 pm on Sunday, Walters was repairing a fence post at his home when he was pounced upon by a man — believed to be of unsound mind — armed with a machete.

Walters was allegedly chopped several times and his head severed.

His attacker reportedly fled the scene with Walters’ head.

Irate residents later set fire to a house believed to be that of the alleged killer.

A manhunt was subsequently launched for the suspect, who was captured in Hague early Tuesday.

The bizarre incident has since left the normally peaceful middle-class community in a state of shock and mourning.

“It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that Bruce is dead. He was a gentleman… kind, always willing to help and to go the extra mile for almost everyone who crossed his path,” a distraught resident of Hague told the Jamaica Observer West.

“It’s really sad to see him go like that.”

When our news team visited the community earlier this week, residents spoke freely about the generosity of their beloved taxi operator and “community man”, while at the same time, expressed disgust at the manner in which his life was cut short.

“Bruce doesn’t deserve to die like that. He was a good man… very helpful, very dependable. He would be one of the first taxi operators to be on the road in the mornings,” said an alleged eyewitness.

“I heard Bruce calling out ‘Jesus! Jesus!’ but I thought it was the normal Holy Spirit he was in, because I know he is a very spiritual person. But then I heard him saying, ‘help, help!’, so I became concerned and looked over his yard and there I saw a man severing his head,” she recounted.

“I then called my husband, who was in our house and told him that there was a man killing Bruce. He ran out of the house with a cutlass and was running towards them [Bruce and the alleged killer], but I held him back telling him that the man [alleged killer] could harm him because he had a machete.”

The teary-eyed neighbour said that her husband then started to throw stones at the alleged killer, but that did not deter him from completely severing Walters’ head.

Residents say they are still baffled at what could have caused the deadly attack.

They say Walters knew the alleged killer for several years.

“Bruce used to give him odd jobs, money and food, so we really don’t know why he decided to kill him,” another resident told the Observer West.

Walters has been plying the Hague to Falmouth route for almost 30 years. He transported students to and from several schools in the parish of Trelawny — many free of charge.

Lindon Kerr, a taxi operator, who plies the same route, said his colleague would be sadly missed.

“Bruce has been operating on the road for many, many years. He was a quiet person, pretty jovial, hard working… we really are sorry about the manner in which he lost his life. We are distressed and saddened. A lot of us cried openly on Sunday when we heard the sad news. We are distraught,” said Kerr, who has operated a taxi for 16 years.

Walters was instrumental in organising the annual Christmas treat for hundreds of children in the Hague community.

It was not surprising then, that three years ago, he was recognised by the Hague Neighbourhood Watch and Citizens Association for his role in the staging of the annual treats.

“It was Bruce who started the annual Christmas treat for the children. He took the money out of his own pocket for many years until he collaborated with the neighbourhood watch in staging them,” said Kim Bailey, a member of the group.