Police launch probe into deaths of St Elizabeth car dealer, suspected thief
ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Police are awaiting a ballistics report as they continue their investigation into a fatal shooting which left a car dealer and a suspected thief dead at an auto mart in Longwood near Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth on Sunday.
Detectives spent hours combing the auto mart as they pieced together the sequence of events which led to the deaths of 64-year-old businessman and car mart dealer Melvin Blythe as well as 34-year-old Romele Johnson, otherwise called “Cutty” or “Cow man”, a resident of Santa Cruz.
Detectives theorise that Blythe and Johnson had a struggle sometime after 3:00 am on Sunday.
READ: Two men found dead at St Elizabeth car mart
Police said Blythe, a licensed firearm holder, left his home and went to his auto mart in Longwood from Saturday night. They theorise that Johnson breached the auto mart’s compound with the intention of dismantling cars for parts.
Detectives, while processing the scene, found a bag of tools and saw a headlight dismantled from a vehicle.
It is believed that Blythe confronted Johnson and a had a struggle during which both men were shot.
Police said Blythe’s wife became concerned after multiple calls to his phone went unanswered and turned up at the auto mart where she stumbled on his body Sunday evening.
The police were called to the location and a blood trail was followed over a 10-foot wall where Johnson’s body was found clutching the businessman’s firearm.
Both bodies were removed to the morgue pending an autopsy and ballistics examination.
— Kasey Williams