The Linstead Police Area of St Catherine has recorded at least 26 murders so far this year, the Jamaica Beacon records reflect.

That’s almost twice the number recorded in 2021.

Most of the murders so far this year happened in the two first months and the two last months.

They transpired in a year when Government placed St Catherine, and some other parishes, under States of Public Emergency in an effort to slow the nationally high murder rate.

From January to December 12, 2022, Jamaica had recorded 1,442 murders. 

Here is a list of those killed in the Linstead Police Area:

– On December 25, Michael Lawrence, better known as Esko, was shot dead while sitting behind the steering wheel of a motorcar about 8:30PM in the community of Canal, located in the Banbury area of Linstead. He was a 30-year-old chef from Bynloss district in Linstead.


– On December 22, the Linstead Police area recorded a double murder at Commodore district. The victims have been identified as 41-year-old higgler Leon English otherwise called ‘Furry’ from Commodore, and 23-year-old Saleika Salkey from Orange field district in Ewarton. A third person was shot and wounded.


– On December 18, gunmen shot and killed 22-year-old Shawn Paul, otherwise called Challa, at his home at Bueno Vista in the Commodore area of Linstead. Another man was wounded.


– On December 9, a gunman shot and killed 37-year-old barber Ricardo Jackson at a lottery shop in his community of Victoria, Linstead. The incident happened about 8:30PM.


– On November 27, residents found the body of a man on Charlemont Farm Road in Linstead. The man, who had wounds to his upper body, turned out to be 39-year-old Damion Bancroft from Waterloo district in Ewarton, St Catherine.


– On November 25, a man was shot about 1:30AM while standing outside a business establishment on Parade Avenue in Linstead. He ran and was chased inside the building and shot multiple times. He is Jamar Butler, whom the Jamaica Constabulary Force said is a taxi operator from Bronx Street, Linstead.


– On November 13, residents found a body on Farm Road in Rosemount, Linstead. The deceased is 32-year-old Ian Allen, otherwise called ‘Whitey’, from Jericho Road in Linstead. Blood was coming from his head, police said.


– On November 7, Yashawn Haye was slain allegedly by his brother who is reputed to struggle with mental issues. The incident happened at their home at York Street, Linstead.


– On September 5, a man whom the Jamaica Constabulary Force said is unidentified, was shot dead on York Street in Linstead. Shortly after 9PM, the body was found lying face-down on the roadway with multiple gunshot wounds.


– On August 28, in broad daylight, robbers murdered Earl Taylor, otherwise called Red Cap, in a section of Linstead known as Baptist Corner. The 69-year-old victim was from Wonder Lane in Bog Walk, St Catherine.


– On August 26, a hudband allegedly stabbed and cut her wife’s throat at Berkshire Hall in the Linstead police area. The deceased is Nickesha DaCosta-Walters, better known as Mammy.


– On July 30, a gunman shot and killed 33-year-old Chavator Beckett, otherwise known as Beeto, from Princessfield near Linstead. He was cut down in the night shortly after leaving an abandoned building where he was having fun with a woman. The building is on Linstead’s Peck Street, which is notorious for night-time prostitution.


– On July 13, a gunman shot and killed 24-year-old Gregory Haynes in his community of Victoria, Linstead. The incident happened about about 11PM.


– On May 13, Serena Needham, 33, was shot and killed when gunmen invaded her home at Venecia Drive in Linstead about 2AM.


– On May 13, Neil Needham 29, was shot dead while sitting in a motor car in Linstead town shortly before mid-night – a few hours after his sister Serena Needham was gunned down execution style elsewhere in Linstead.


– On April 21, residents found the bullet-riddled body of Ralston Riley, otherwise called Breddie, on a dirt track near an AC repair shop along Linstead Bypass – not far from Commodore district. Residents reported hearing gunshots about 1AM on the aforementioned date.


– On March 12, a gunman killed 21-year-old Richard Webb while he and a relative were walking along the roadway in Banbury district, Linstead. The relative was shot and wounded in the incident that happened about 8:20PM.


– On February 26, gunman murdered 26-year-old labourer Kevon Grey, alias ‘Babu’, at a candlelight vigil in his community of Banbury, Linstead.


– On February 18, a gunman shot and killed 35-year-old Andy McFarlene on Fletcher’s Avenue, beside Linstead Market. He had fled Linstead after his mother was killed execution style in November 2017.


– On February 11, a gunman shot and killed 52-year-old businesswoman Sheivonne Golden, who used the alias Karlene Beadle. She was sitting outside her business establishment at Time and Patience district in Linstead when the gunman struck about 6:20PM.


– On February 9, gunman shot and killed a labourer at Grove Road in Linstead. The victim is 31-one-year-old Ryan Edwards, also called Puddy, from Commodore district.


– On February 5, residents found the corpse of Nicole Sital in bushes in her Cheesefield community in Linstead. She had stab wounds.


– On February 3, a woman was chopped to death at Buxton Town in Wakefield, in the Linstead police area. The victim is 63-year-old Murdeline Sullivan.


– On January 12, gunmen murdered 27-year-old Oshane Harper, better known as Lance. He was cut down in a section of Linstead known as Burton.


– On January 6, a gunman shot and killed 27-year-old Denton Hamilton, better known as One Left. That incident transpired at a beauty salon on Fourth Street in the Trinity area of Linstead. Hamilton was slain a day after being released from jail.

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