Crime
33 Murders; 7 NEW homicides in the past 8 days
By Deandrea Hamilton and Dana Malcolm
Editorial Staff
#TurksandCaicos, November 4, 2022 – Three weeks of relative quiet in the Turks and Caicos was on Wednesday October 26 shattered by another double shooting, which left one man murdered. Since then, at least six more shooting incidents across mainly Providenciales, with one unconfirmed report out of Grand Turk and a most shocking slaughter of nearly an entire family has sent shock and awe to fever pitch.
For the Turks and Caicos Islands, these are unprecedented times.
No identities have been released on those shot but residents know who they are and are talking, a lot taking mainly to social media to express their disappointment in policing and their abhorrence of the crimes.
Police have also not characterized the shootings but videos of the various scenes are painful to watch.
In the October 26 homicide, one young man is bloody and lifeless. Residents are heard desperately trying to keep the
other young man alive repeatedly asking him not to close his eyes. This man, we understand was recovering at hospital.
It’s a terrible throwback to the events of which erupted in early September and a chilling reminder that all is not well in The Turks and Caicos Islands.
It seems this incident resuscitated a feud at a time when it appears Operation Anaconda is disbanded as there is no longer any sight of the 24 Royal Bahamas Police Force members on the streets. There is also no mention of the special combined force by the TCI Police Commissioner.
Here are the reports, as they were shared by the Royal TCI Police with initial information on the bloodshed.
Around 6:05 pm Wednesday (October 26) police received multiple calls that gunshots were being heard in the vicinity of the James Stubbs building along Leeward Highway. After that more calls were placed reporting a bleeding man near Monica’s Bar when police arrived there were two men down.
The report issued the night of the attack confirmed civilian accounts that the first victim was alive and conscious with a gunshot wound to the left side of his body when they arrived, while the second victim was already lifeless.
Magnetic Media was also informed that there were three struck in the bullets; this was however never confirmed by TCI Police.
On Saturday October 29, this was the report: “The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force officers are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding a shooting incident at Dock Yard, which resulted in a man being seriously injured.
Reports state a call was placed to the Police Control Room during the early hours of this morning (Saturday 29th October) , stating a male victim with a gunshot wound was seeking medical attention.”
By Sunday, there was another shooting and it seems this one was a case of mistaken identity. Two were in a vehicle travelling into the Millennium Heights subdivision, when two women miraculously survived an onslaught by two masked, dark clad men.
Police said: “The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force officers are investigating the shooting of a female.
Reports state that around 7.13 pm today (Sunday 30th October), a call was placed to the Police Control Room, indicating a female driver and her friend were travelling towards Millennium Heights Phase 2 , Blue Hills, when the female driver was stopped by another vehicle, whose occupant started shooting in her direction.
The passenger received a gunshot wound to her left shoulder.”
Not even 24-hours later, a new murder was to be recorded.
“The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force officers are currently investigating a murder.
Initial reports state a call was placed to the Police Control Room around 8.56 am today (Monday 31st October), alerting that a male victim was laying motionless on the ground, in the vicinity of Parker’s Yard, Wheeland, Blue Hills.
Officers were dispatched to the scene and upon arrival found a man with a gunshot wound.”
That night, the most horrendous attack would be recorded. An entire family, including two children and one unborn, not spared the wrath of a ruthless gun attack.
From Police, after a number of deeply concerning missteps in the Dock Yard case, there came this update: “At around 6.57 am today (November 01st) the Royal Turks and Caicos Police Force received information from its Police Control Room, that two adults – male and female, along with two children were bleeding heavily from gunshot wounds in a parked vehicle in Dock Yard.
RTCIPF officers arrived at the given location and found the lifeless bodies of the adults and a male child aged three. Another female child aged seven, who was also in the vehicle, was alive and taken for medical attention for injuries received.
Commissioner of Police Trevor Botting in expressing condolences to the families of the deceased said: “The murder of the two adults and the child is shocking and the circumstances of what happened are now part of an active investigation. Such a vicious, barbaric act has no place in our communities and I condemn those involved. The criminals involved are in the minority and we need to all work together to bring them to justice; these criminals are
heartless; they do not care about life.
“The RTCIPF remains focused and determined to bring the perpetrators to justice and we are being supported by colleagues from the UK, Bahamas, and the United States as we conduct robust and thorough investigations into recent violence on the Islands.
“Operations will continue to track down those criminals causing most harm to our communities and they should be prepared to spend most of their life in prison when they are caught.”
Many expressed being exasperated by the police statements and more so the incessant crime. A shooting report by civilians found its way out of Grand Turk, this time, no police corroboration.
And as the Turks and Caicos continued to grapple with the monstrosity of the homicides of the young family on Halloween night, there came yet another killing.
“The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force officers are investigating a shooting incident which resulted in one man being killed.
Initial reports state at around 4.32 pm today (November 03rd), the Police Control Room received a call that gunshots were heard in the yard of a resident in Blue Hills.
When the RTCIPF officers arrived at the given location, a male victim was slumped over a chair, bleeding from what appeared to be a gunshot wound.
The victim was later pronounced dead by a medical official.”
The murderous rampage of August, which reached uncommon heights in September and October is now spilling into November. In all of the murders, only one person has been charged and that is in the case of Justin Cox-Beckles, killed when an argument escalated in a Blue Hills lounge. This incident was not counted among the gang-fuelled violence of the past three months.
According to Magnetic Media records, the murder count now stands at 33 for 2022 in the Turks and Caicos Islands; a dismal and dismaying record.
Wilkie Arthur
Freelance Court Correspondent
#TurksandCaicos, April 25, 2024 – He was busted at the Howard Hamilton Providenciales International Airport on Friday, April 16, 2024.
He allegedly had in his luggage four (4) rounds of 6.5mm ammunition on his departure to his homeland in Oklahoma in the United States of America (USA).
Ryan Watson and his wife were arrested and placed into police lock up. Both were later granted police bail, and upon return to police station the Monday after the couple’s arrest, the husband alone was charged by detective Police Constable Kimberlee Markland for
unlawful possession of the four rounds of ammunition.
Watson was escorted to court on Tuesday, April 23rd, placed before the learned Chief Magistrate Mr. Jolyon Hatmin and remanded to His Majesty’s Prison until his sufficiency hearing on June 7, this (2024) year.
His counsel, Mr. Oliver Smith KC and his junior assistant Mrs. Kimone Tennant immediately sought bail for him in the Supreme Court which was heard the following day (Wednesday April 24) before her Ladyship Ms. Tanya Lobban-Jackson and was granted bail, without hassle in the amount or $15,000.00 cash or surety.
The Crown, in the person of senior public prosecutor Ms. Tassja Mitchell did not oppose bail.
Magnetic Media can report that once again on the afternoon of the Tuesday April 24th, after the accused RYAN TYLER WATSON, 41 was remanded by the Magistrate’s court, the U.S. Embassy issued an warning to it’s citizens and travelers to carefully check their bags when traveling to Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) as TCI authorities are strictly enforcing firearm and ammunition laws and if found you could go to prison for 12 years.
A real question of great concern and public importance is: should the TCI courts sentence tourists to the full mandatory minimum of 12 years imprisonment for simple possession firearm and/or ammunition.
The succinct answer is: Yes!
The Court of Appeal, just last month said in its written judgment that “ALL PERSONS,” including tourist/visitors must go to prison if found guilty or pleas guilty to firearm and ammunition offences.
However, there remains the concern about how much time in prison a judge should give a visitor regardless of the existence of exceptional circumstances.
Should the judge imprison a visitor to the territory, who may have been wrongly informed, for example, the full mandatory minimum term or must a reduced prison term be imposed.
If TCI judges start to give less than the mandatory minimum to tourists/visitors, it is being strong and widely advocated by senior defense attorneys that the same must apply to local or residents of these Islands, who may also present exceptional circumstances.
Arguments about the equity in delivery of justice is what drove the question to the Court of Appeal late in 2023. The decision came this past February.
‘We cannot find ourselves sentencing tourists regardless of exceptional circumstances to lesser sentences, and when those same exceptional circumstances are found in local cases, it’s being ignored by our judges.’
Human Rights Attorney, Sheena Mair has on more than one occasion argued this point; including in firearm and ammunition bail applications. She would put the very same judges and prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution on the spot by reminding the judges and the prosecutors that precedent has been set.
‘You’ve just granted bail to a tourist for firearm and ammunition but now here’s a local person, same charge but because he’s a local he can’t get bail? He has to be remanded pending a trial that could take years before it’s heard?’
Mair has valiantly outlined the wrong in this and clearly stated this practice is “not fair” and it’s “not proper administration of justice in the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Ms. Mair further complained that tourists would plea guilty to possession of firearm and ammunition and be released on bail pending sentencing but as for a local, he or she has to wait on remand at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation pending sentencing.
The attorney criticizes the optics of such decisions and is on record reminding the Judge that the Court of Appeal has already set out that the law applies to everyone; visitors and locals alike.
A police statement issued Wednesday April 24 informs: “Today (April 24th), Mr. Watson appeared in the Supreme Court and, following a bail application, was granted $15,000 bail with the following conditions:
1) Not travel out of TCI without the court’s permission.
2) Surrender his passport and all other travel documents to the court
3) Report to Grace Bay Police Station on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 8 am-4 pm,
4) Reside at the given address in Providenciales; any address change will be provided before the court.”
The American from Oklahoma whose story is trending in the US and has been carried by leading news networks was joined by a host of loved ones at the Courthouse.
Crime
Following Court ruling, US Embassy Doubles Down on Warning: DO NOT TRAVEL TO TCI WITH GUNS, AMMO
-
News1 week agoDR man rented Jet Ski nine days ago in Providenciales; where is he now?
-
Health1 week agoDengue cases rising in Region
-
TCI News4 days agoExperience Turks and Caicos and Ministry of Tourism explore development of Cruise industry at Seatrade Global Cruise Conference
-
Caribbean News7 days agoCARICOM pushes need for Reparations Tribunal at Forum in Geneva
-
Education7 days agoCampus Brawl at Clement Howell High sends students to Hospital
-
Caribbean News1 week agoCARICOM, UN applauds published decree establishing Haiti’s Transitional Government
-
Caribbean News7 days agoCARICOM sends warning as Oil prices creep higher in the Israel v Iran conflict; 14 regional states import energy
-
News1 week agoAshley’s Learning Center Wraps Up Successful 7th Annual Autism Awareness Concert: “The Future is Bright”