‘It is early days’ says investigator in Portland double murder
PORTLAND, Jamaica – Following the double murder of Shadae Pink and Keino James in Portland on Tuesday, Superintendent Lloyd Darby commanding officer for the parish, says “it is early days” as they pursue various leads.
Speaking with OBSERVER ONLINE Darby said, “[It is] a sad day for Portland. The female victim was in an advanced state of pregnancy that adds to the distress that her family who resides very near to the scene are experiencing.”
Pink, 28, and James, 23, were reportedly among a group of people playing dominoes around 11:00 pm, when a car drove up, one man then exited the rear of the motor car armed with a handgun and opened fire hitting both individuals. They were both rushed to the Port Antonio Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
READ: Pregnant woman among two killed while playing dominoes on Labour Day in Portland
“We are following all the investigative leads and it is too early to confirm any of them but we are doing all that is necessary in terms of crime scene, scientific evidence and eyewitnesses to see if we can really solve this murder. We are also noting that the female was the target of this attack so we are focusing our investigation around the female. We are asking anyone with information to pass on to the police my number is 876-517-0087 CIB 876-322-9263 or Port Antonio Police Station 876-322-9368 as we work together to solve this horrendous crime,” Darby continued.
The double murder pushed the murder tally in the parish to five.
On Wednesday when OBSERVER ONLINE visited Campbell Avenue and Alfred Lane, where Pink and James are from, the area was shrouded in gloom. There was also a strong police presence along with personnel from restorative justice, pastors and counsellors.
One of Pink’s relatives described her as kind and loving.She died leaving her daughter.
“She was so loving and kind and she was instrumental during COVID with the playing of dominoes at the corner (Campbell Avenue and Alfred Lane) and the jerking. They just come and kill her so. Oh God we leave it to you. When they are out there and it starts to rain they would just run in and shelter and as it ease of they are gone out again to play,” a grieving family member remarked
At the monthly general meeting of the Portland Municipal Corporation on May 11, Darby had reported that the murders in the parish were at three compared to four last year at that time.
– Everard Owen