From a once in a lifetime hurricane to a historic third term for the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), a 30-year low in murders, and the major flop by the Reggae Boyz, 2025 was another big year for news in Jamaica.

There was also a shocking suicide involving a beauty queen contestant and the retirement of an Olympic legend that marked the end of a golden era in Jamaican sporting history.

It was also a year during which some notable icons across the entertainment, legal, business, political and sporting fraternities left us.

See below Observer Online’s 13 biggest local stories of 2025:

Amid the destruction of Hurricane Melissa, this boy looks out, probably wondering when he will be able to play again. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

1-Destructive Hurricane Melissa, the once in a lifetime storm!
Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica’s southwestern coast at Category 5 storm on October 28, packing sustained winds of 185 miles per hour.

The strongest hurricane to ever hit Jamaica, the once in a lifetime event left behind a trail of destruction across several parishes with the hardest-hit being St Elizabeth, Westmoreland and St James. Hanover, Trelawny, Manchester and St Ann also suffered significant damage.

Hospitals, schools, homes, roads and bridges and agriculture were severely impacted, devastated even, and the electricity grid of the Jamaica Public Service Company was wiped out in areas in the immediate vicinity of the hurricane. Many Jamaicans described the damage as catastrophic!

After the winds subsided, it emerged that over 600,000 people in the hurricane’s path were impacted and approximately 160,000 buildings were damaged; some of them were totalled. Forty-five people were killed, the same number claimed by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, while a number of people are still missing and dozens of communities were marooned.

The World Bank put the early estimate of the damage at US$8.8 billion or 41 per cent of Jamaica’s gross domestic product in 2024, with St James, Westmoreland and St Elizabeth accounting for US$5.5 billion or 63 per cent of the total damage.

The international community quickly rallied to Jamaica’s aid in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane and over 320,000 care packages and building materials have been rushed to the disaster area so far. Notwithstanding the outpouring of support, including from Jamaicans in the Diaspora, thousands of Jamaicans spent Christmas without a roof over their heads and thousands are still without electricity. Many children are yet to return to school. The Andrew Holness Administration has, among other things moved to fast-track the delivery of over 3,000 containerised homes to the worst affected areas. The first of these should arrive in the country in January.

It was a nightmarish seven days for Jamaicans leading up to when Melissa actually made landfall as it made a slow waltz towards the country. Initial forecasts were for it to stay off the southwestern coast or just brush the coastline. Other models had it making direct landfall in Manchester or Clarendon. Melissa eventually made that dreaded northwestern turn on October 28, picked up speed, before making landfall in New Hope, Westmoreland.

The history books will recall that what Jamaicans woke up to the next day was nothing short of cataclysmic.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness delivering his inauguration address at King’s House, St Andrew, on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)

2. Holness leads JLP to historic third term
Dr Andrew Holness and the JLP defied the opinion polls and predictions of political commentators, who had written off his party’s chances, to lead the JLP to a historic third consecutive general election victory on September 3.

It was the third time the JLP was winning an election on September 3, the second under Holness’ leadership following his win in 2020 on the same date. His latest triumph at the polls, despite the JLP losing 14 of the seats it secured in its landslide victory in 2020 when it claimed 49 seats to the People’s National Party’s (PNP) 14, continues the history-making trend for Holness. When he led the JLP to victory in 2020, it marked the first time since 1967 that the JLP was securing back-to-back victories. He is now on course to being Jamaica’s longest-serving prime minister, a feat currently held by PJ Patterson.

JLP insiders have admitted post-election that the prime minister’s back was against the wall as he continued to face scrutiny about his uncertified statutory declarations, two damning investigation reports from the Integrity Commission, accusations of nepotism and cronyism with the appointment of Dennis Chung to head the Financial Investigation Division, and allegations of corruption within the party. The election also came at a time when Jamaicans were increasingly complaining about the high cost of living.

For over a year, public opinion polls showed the PNP consistently leading the JLP. The PNP was also relentless in its charges of nepotism, cronyism and corruption levelled against the JLP. Coupled with high food prices, Holness bore the brunt of the criticisms, in particular on social media.

Both the PNP and JLP drew massive crowds at their campaign rallies and while the PNP appeared more confident at times, the political genius of Holness prevailed in the end. The final results saw the JLP winning 35 seats to the 28 secured by Mark Golding and the PNP.

Some political commentators put the JLP’s victory down to the last-minute promise from Holness to double the National Minimum Wage from the current $16,000 per week to $32,000. That promise was made in Spanish Town on Sunday, August 31. Jamaicans went to the polls on Wednesday, September 3.

Members of a police team conduct an operation on Lyndhurst Road in St Andrew in this Jamaica Observer file photo. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

3. 30-year low in murders
The previously widely criticised Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang, and Police Commissioner Dr Kevin Blake, are being hailed for implementing a crime plan that has resulted in a massive 42 per cent reduction in murders this year when compared to 2024.

Up to mid-December, approximately 650 Jamaicans had been murdered compared to about 1,085 for the corresponding period last year. As at mid-December, this was 435 fewer homicides recorded in a calendar year, a significant achievement by the Government and security forces. It marks the first time murders will fall below the 1,000-mark in nearly 30 years, a point highlighted by Government senators during the sitting of the Senate on December 19.

As far as Senator Christian Tavares-Finson is concerned, while the Government was facing constant criticism from the Opposition over the perceived lack of a crime plan, “little did they know” that the Administration had embarked on “one of the largest crime management strategies this hemisphere has ever seen”.

This, according to Tavares-Finson, is responsible for the more than 42 per cent reduction in murders this year, when compared to 2024. Tavares-Finson noted that the plan began to take shape in 2016 when the JLP returned to power and began to make “unprecedented and sustained investments in national security, with a significant portion directed toward strengthening the Jamaica Constabulary Force”.

Newly-minted Government Senator Keith Duncan told the Senate he was sold on ‘Plan Secure Jamaica’ when it was presented to him by Chang and then Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson back in 2019 when he was president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica. He said the plan is now bearing fruit and can be sustained if all Jamaicans get behind it.

Duncan shared that he was struck by the various pillars that made up the plan, including social transformation; modernisation and reform of the Jamaica Constabulary Force; reform of the Jamaica Defence Force; and the enactment of legislation. He pointed out that all of the key pillars of the plan were outlined, including how it would be resourced both from a monetary and human standpoint.

Despite his obvious joy at the reduction in murders, Senator Abka Fitz-Henly noted that 650 homicides in a country the size of Jamaica was still too many.

Olympic long jump silver medal winner Wayne Pinnock (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

4. Controversy erupts as top athletes switch allegiance to Turkey
The executive of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) was forced into crisis management mode in June as news circulated that four top-tier athletes, including three medallists from the 2024 Olympic Games, had completed the process of becoming Turkish citizens.

The crisis meeting was called as discus throw gold medallist Roje Stona, long jump silver medallist Wayne Pinnock, shot put bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell and two-time World Under-20 champion and world Under-20 triple jump record holder Jaydon Hibbert, were reported to have completed the documentation to become citizens of the Middle Eastern country.

Stona set a new Olympic record with a gold medal-winning throw while Campbell won the bronze in the shot put at the Paris Games, the first time any Jamaicans were winning medals in these events at the Olympics.

Of note is that athletes who compete in field events generally earn less than their on-track counterparts.

News broke that Turkey had been aggressively recruiting Jamaican field event athletes with the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 being the target, luring them with big signing bonuses of US$500,000 (J$80 million) and six figure podium bonuses.

Under the transfer rules of World Athletics, the athletes will not be able to compete for Jamaica over the next three years to be eligible for their new country, come 2028.

Responding to the controversy in July, Pinnock said his decision was driven by the need to secure a better future for himself and his family, citing a lack of support for athletes in Jamaica.

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz striker Kaheim Dixon is inconsolable at the end of the goalless draw versus Curaçao at the National Stadium in St Andrew on November 18, 2025. The result denied Jamaica automatic qualification to next year’s FIFA World Cup being hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

5. Reggae Boyz flop as World Cup plans derailed
It was sheer heartbreak at the National Stadium for more than 35,000 expectant fans who had turned out to see Jamaica qualify for the FIFA 2026 World Cup.

But, needing a win at home to qualify for football’s showpiece event for a second time, the Reggae Boyz flopped badly, playing out a dull 0-0 draw against Curacao who, by virtue of the result, became the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup.

It’s a dramatic fall for the team who were seen as heavy favourites after being drawn with Curaçao, Trinidad and Tobago, and Bermuda. It was a major flop for the Reggae Boyz in what was supposed to be their easiest run to the FIFA World Cup since their historic qualification for France 98.

With an expanded World Cup featuring 48 teams, up from 32, with Concacaf giants United States and Mexico, along with Canada being given automatic berths by virtue of being the host countries, Jamaica was expected to grab one of the other three automatic qualifying spots. So much so that some commentators had for months been saying Jamaica was sure to qualify and would do so with maximum points. That was until they ran into Curacao who beat them 2-0 at home and then dropping points late against Trinidad in a 1-1 draw in their penultimate game.

Head coach, Englishman Steve McLaren, who was much criticised for his tactics and team selections, including keeping striker Shamar Nicholson on the bench against Trinidad after declaring him to be the best forward in the region, tendered his resignation immediately following the game in Kingston.

It is now the task of newly-appointed head coach Rudolph Speid to qualify the team for the World Cup via the intercontinental playoffs next March where they will have to get by New Caledonia and the higher-ranked Democratic Republic of Congo.

Vybz Kartel on-stage at Freedom Street at the National Stadium on January 1, 2025. (Photo: Karl McLarty)

6. Vybz Kartel rings in 2025 with massive Freedom Street Concert
Tens of thousands of fans of the self-styled World Boss, Vybz Kartel, descended on the National Stadium on New Year’s Eve 2024 to ring in 2025 at the much-anticipated Freedom Street Concert which Kartel headlined.

It was the first big news event in Jamaica in 2025 and its impact was felt far beyond the island’s shores.

The event marked Kartel’s first performance in Jamaica in over a decade; he had been locked up at the Tower Street Correctional Centre for 13 years following his murder conviction for the 2011 killing of his associate Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams, ostensibly over some missing guns. His conviction was overturned because of juror misconduct.

Jamaicans from home and in the Diaspora, as well as non-Jamaicans, jam-packed the National Stadium for what some commentators said was the largest crowd ever gathered inside the facility. The five-month build-up to the show that was bankrolled by founder and CEO of Downsound Records, Joe Bogdanovich, was palpable. And, even though his voice and energy levels were not the same after more than a decade behind bars and battling serious health conditions, fans reportedly left with a sense of satisfaction having got what they wanted; a glimpse of their favourite entertainer.

Following his Jamaican performance, Kartel has gone on to perform to soldout audiences in the United States and elsewhere. The Gaza boss, who has a large social media following that’s glued to his every new catchphrase or million dollar acquisition, currently resides in Florida.

Jamaica’s Oblique Seville reacts to winning the men’s 100m final race during the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, September 14, 2025. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

7. Oblique Seville is World Champion
Jamaicans at home and abroad erupted with joy on September 14 when Oblique Seville stormed to victory in the 100m at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan in a personal best of 9.77 seconds.

This was Jamaica’s first men’s world sprint title in a decade and the man who had last won the title, the legendary Usain Bolt, was watching. For good measure, Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson captured the silver medal in 9.82 seconds while Noah Lyles of the United States claimed bronze in 9.89 seconds.

“It is just a tremendous feeling to compete in front of Usain here in Tokyo,” said Seville, who finished an agonising fourth at the last two world championships. “His coach (Glen Mills) is my coach and I know that both of them are very proud of me right now.”

Seville added: “They were like, ‘(you) are going to be the world champion’. But I have proved, in front of him, that I am a champion and I am very proud of that.

“To win this gold medal is something special to me. Track and field is both mental and physical. But to be honest, I think I have mastered the mental part of it.

“Now, more gold medals!”

Lionel Messi, one of the world’s most popular footballers, in action at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

8. When Messi mania locked down the National Stadium
The anticipation and excitement reached fever pitch inside a capacity National Stadium on March 13 when football fans swarmed the venue to get a glimpse of the world’s most popular footballer, Lionel Messi.

Many who did not get to purchase a ticket for the match were left bitterly disappointed.

Messi had travelled to Kingston with his team Inter Miami for their round of 16 match for the Concacaf Championships Cup against Jamaica’s Cavalier.

The Argentine national has a huge fan base in Jamaica and many travelled far and wide for the only opportunity they would have had to see him play.

And, while he was playing against a Jamaican team, the reception he got when he rose from the bench in the 53rd minute to enter the game was telling. The little magician did not disappoint, going on to score Inter’s second goal with the final kick of the game to give his side a 2-0 win on the night and a place in the last eight.

With the home side’s hopes of an upset win already dashed, there were cheers for the goal from the Jamaican fans who were delighted to see the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner play in their country for the first time.

One Order Gang leader Othniel Thickman Lobban was killed by police on January 22, 2025.

9. Thickman’s killing by police locked the old capital Spanish Town
Businesses pulled their shutters, the courthouses were closed, public transport operators withdrew their services, and schools dismissed classes early for students who lived in Spanish Town and beyond.

This, as chaos erupted in the old capital following the police fatal shooting of the reputed leader of the One Order gang, Othniel ‘Thickman’ Lobban on the night of January 23rd.

His killing would set the tone for the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s pursuit and killing of a record 300 alleged gangsters this year at the same time the country’s murder tally was falling below 1,000 in a calendar year for the first time in 30 years.

The wanted man was cut down near the overpass at Six Miles, St Andrew about 10:30 pm, following a reported chase and gun battle involving the Joint Anti-Gang Task Force. Lobban had been listed as one of the top five most wanted individuals by the National Joint Anti-Gang Task Force’s Assault on Gang initiative and had been linked to organised crimes in several parishes including Kingston and St Catherine. He had eluded the security forces for sometime, including a dragnet in Mountain View, St Andrew, until his luck ran out that fateful night in January.

As word spread of his killing, beginning overnight, his supporters wreaked havoc in parts of Spanish Town. The Courts Bargain Centre store on Young Street was set ablaze and businesses, including banks, closed early. Spanish Town soon resembled a ghost town and business leaders lamented that they had lost millions of dollars having been forced into early closures.

Even the state-run Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) altered its routes, terminating buses at the Sagicor/LOJ Plaza instead of the Spanish Town bus park. JUTC pointed to safety concerns for staff, passengers, and assets as the reason for the precaution.

Matters scheduled for the Spanish Town and Old Harbour courthouses were postponed and curfews imposed in Ellerslie Pen and Tawes Meadows, area frequented by Thickman.

News of the flare-up of violence was picked up by the international media including Associated Press, ABC News and the UK Guardian, all providing extensive coverage of the incident.

Despite his reported violent antecedents, many of his supporters in Gordon Meadows, formerly Gordon Pen, Tawes Meadows, formerly Tawes Pen, and elsewhere, continued to swear that he was a good man who provided for them.

A screengrab from one of Tyra Spaulding’s videos that was shared on YouTube.

10. The shocking suicide of Tyra Spaulding
Jamaicans were shocked by the news that former Miss Universe Jamaica contestant Tyra Spaulding had died by suicide in September.

The heartbreaking news was picked up by the international media.

Spaulding’s death was even more heartrending after it was revealed that she appeared to have been crying out for help on social media.

Spaulding, a 26-year-old accountant, was reportedly found on September 23 at her home hanging from her bed frame.

Moments after her passing, Jamaicans took to social media to share clips of YouTube videos Spaulding had posted sharing the details of her struggle with suicidal thoughts. In the clips, the former Miss Universe Jamaica contestant expressed that she felt two versions of herself existed; one fighting to stay alive, and the other willing to succumb to the dark thoughts of suicide.

“My mind is trying to kill me, and if I do nothing, I am going to die, guys,” said Spaudling in a video posted on September 4.

“Every day I get up my mind tells me to go and jump off a building, it tells me to go and overdose on pills, it tells me to go and hang myself. I am fighting for my life,” she said.

In an interview with Television Jamaica, Spaulding’s mother, Margaret Jones, described her daughter as vibrant. However, she said sometime this year her demeanour began to change.

“We used to talk and so, and she refuse. She was just locked away in her room from morning ’til night,” her mother recalled.
She shared that Spaulding would only leave her room to eat and use the restroom, until one day she did not.

“That was the day she killed herself,” said Jones.

After Spaulding’s death, the Miss Universe Jamaica organisation extended condolence to the family of the 2023 contestant, stating that: “Tyra was more than a contestant; she was a vibrant, intelligent, and inspiring young woman whose grace and spirit touched everyone she met.”

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (right) being crowned by Serena Williams at an Athlos event recently in recogntion of “a lifetime of speed, excellence and legacy”.
(Photo: Athlos Instagram)

11. Indomitable Fraser-Pryce calls time on outstanding career
Arguably the greatest female sprinter of all time, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce called time on her illustrious career after competing at her eighth and final World Championships in September in Tokyo, Japan.

The heavily-decorated sprinter is famous for winning an astounding five 100m World Championships titles, a feat that may never be surpassed.

She finished sixth in the 100m in her last World Championships, but that did not matter.

“Tonight, I am really grateful that I was able to stand on the track one more time in the 100m finals,” she said at the end of her final race. “It has been such a privilege, an honour, and my greatest blessing to stand here tonight,” she said after the race.

“I came into this championship with so many odds, but I made the final. And I think that is a huge accomplishment. I remember in 2007 when I started, I was unsure what I wanted to do, but I walked away with so much from the championship. This time around, I came with all those experiences from years of participating in the championships.”

Fraser-Pryce, the third-fastest woman of all time in the 100m with a time of 10.60, has won three Olympic gold medals and 10 world titles, with a total of 25 Olympic and world medals to her name.

“My secret? There is no secret,” she maintained. “My training discipline has brought me this far, and I get so much joy from the sport.

“I enjoy it immensely and am very grateful for everything I have achieved in my career and have been able to experience.

“I’m still very passionate. And competing at a high level, it’s no secret that you have to be disciplined.

She told World Athletics that the decision to hang up her spikes had not been a tough one.

“It wasn’t difficult at all,” she said. “For me, I’ve been privileged, I’m blessed to be able to have had a lot of success in track and have some fantastic memories.

Fraser-Pryce does not reach five feet tall (1.52m) but she overcame childhood disadvantage to become a giant of her sport.

Her resume includes 10 gold medals, six silver medals and one bronze medal from nine editions of the World Championships and she boasts an unprecedented five 100m titles, from 2009, 2013, 2015, 2019 and 2022. Her Olympic record is also formidable – three gold medals and eight medals in total, including consecutive 100m titles in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.

An undated photo of murder and shooting suspect Dave Wilson, otherwise called Brown Man.

12. ‘Wild, Wild West’ in Mandeville as ‘Brown Man’ holds security forces at bay
It was pure drama in the central Jamaica parish of Manchester on September 9 when a lone gunman, barricaded inside an apartment complex, engaged the security forces in a shoot-out that lasted over three hours.

When the shooting subsided, 54-year-old Dave Alfrancis Wilson, otherwise known as ‘Brown Man’, lay dead inside the apartment building located on Caledonia Road in Mandeville.

The incident would later be described by onlookers as a scene straight out of a movie. It was talked about by Jamaicans for weeks with various versions of the story being given in bars, garages, barbershops, corner shops and on social media.

Reports from the police are that earlier in the day about 10:00 am, Wilson had a dispute with a man over the cost of some items. According to the police, Wilson left and returned with a rifle and opened fire at the man, who was sitting in his car, killing him. The man was later identified as 31-year-old accountant Adrian Bernard of Bueno Vista Circle in Manchester.

Brown Man retreated to his apartment and a shootout ensued after the police failed to convince him to give himself up. The police reported recovering an Omni Hybrid multi-calibre 5.56 rifle, a Beretta 9mm pistol, and more than 500 assorted rounds of ammunition inside the apartment where Wilson was killed. The shooting subsided sometime after 1:00 pm.

Speaking with Observer Online shortly after the incident, one eyewitness shared, “I was watching what was taking place and the only thing I hear is pam, pam, pam, pam. The dawg just waving the rifle like he was in the military, you know? It was a good shootout because he make police come from Clarendon, Kingston, he make big history in the system but one thing I never want to happen they shouldn’t kill him. We did want him because he was a bad shooter. Only thing I hear pam pam pam”.

Later, residents of Caledonia Road would express shock and surprise that one of their neighbours was involved in a daring shootout with the police after earlier shooting and killing a man. Some described Wilson as “quiet and reserved”. Said to be a deportee, Wilson lived at the location for nearly 20 years and reportedly did not give any inclination that he was prone to violence or was engaged in any illegal activity.

13. Those who left us in 2025
A legendary musician who made reggae global, the former head of the island’s most recognised conglomerate, an icon of local radio, and a football maestro are some of the well-known Jamaicans who are no longer with us at the end of 2025.

Jamaicans were shocked by news of the death of international reggae icon Jimmy Cliff on November 24 at age 81. Despite his advanced years, there was no indication that Cliff, born James Chambers in Somerton, St James, was ailing.

In a post to his official social media pages, his wife Latifa Chambers said Cliff passed away after a battle with pneumonia which followed a seizure.

Cliff, who was accorded an official funeral by the Jamaican Government on December 17, was instrumental in introducing reggae to an international audience, largely through his performance in the landmark film Harder They Come.

Meanwhile, there was an outpouring of grief from the business, political and sporting communities following news that the former GraceKennedy Group chief executive officer and Government Senator Don Wehby had died. He departed this life on July 26 at 62 years-old.

Wehby had taken a leave of absence from GraceKennedy in October last year, citing health issues. A month later he resigned from his position in the Senate. Last October Wehby was one of eight Jamaicans vested with the nation’s fourth-highest honour — the Order of Jamaica (OJ).

In addition to his stellar contribution to business, Wehby played a major role in the development of sports through GraceKenndy’s sponsorship of the annual high school Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships; schoolboy cricket, and horse racing.

On October 29, the man who was described as the voice of afternoon radio in the 1980s and early 1990s, Barrington “Barry G” Gordon, died at the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital in Westmoreland, reportedly from pneumonia. He was 70 years-old.

His exuberant delivery and charismatic personality made him one of Jamaica’s great broadcasters.

Barry G joined the staff at the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) in the late 1970s, shortly after graduating from Kingston College. He hosted shows such as the Boogie Down Show on Saturday nights which announced him as a rising star.

Later, he hosted the four-hour 2 To 6 Supermix which made him the number one disc jockey in Jamaica for most of the 1980s.

Barry G became globally famous through his radio clashes with British radio legend David Rodigan. Those clashes started in 1983 and made both men stars in major dancehall-reggae markets in the United States, United Kingdom and Japan.

After leaving JBC in 1987, Barry G moved to the rival Radio Jamaica and also had stints at Power 106, KLAS FM and Hot 102. He enjoyed a career revival at Mello FM in Montego Bay where he stayed for 11 years before leaving in 2021. He was awarded the Order of Distinction — Jamaica’s sixth-highest honour — for services to broadcasting in 2010.

On September 9, the sporting and entertainment communities were united in grief when news emerged that former Santos and Jamaica football star and manager of reggae superstar Bob Marley, Allan ‘Skill’ Cole, had passed away aged 74.

At the peak of his powers, Cole was a midfield maestro and remained Jamaica’s youngest senior football international, donning national colours against a Brazilian team when he was only 15 years old.

He was one of Jamaica’s most popular sportsmen throughout the 1970s, reaching folk-hero status with athletic feats for Santos in the local national league that football aficionados labelled as “legendary.” Cole also had professional stints in the United States with the Atlanta Chiefs in the late 1960s and with Brazilian club Nautica in the early 1970s. He also famously served as manager for reggae superstar Bob Marley.

Other notable Jamaicans who died in 2025 include prominent attorney-at-law, Valerie Neita-Robertson; reggae icon Cocoa Tea; track legend Usain Bolt’s father, Wellesley Bolt; and boxing great Mike McCallum, a Hall of Fame fighter who held world titles in three weight classes.