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| 2012 murder count unclear |
Royston Jones Jr.
Guardian Staff Reporter royston@nasguard.com
Published: Jul 17, 2012
Police have recently reclassified two killings, making the murder count for 2012 so far somewhat unclear. According to The Nassau Guardian’s records, 74 murders have occurred so far this year when taking both reclassifications into account. However, police claim that the murder count stands at 73. Officials were unable to accurately satisfy this disparity yesterday. The disparity has only come to light during the past week. On Sunday, July 8, police records, as well as those of The Guardian, pegged the murder count at 72 for the year, after three murders occurred that weekend. Since then, three more murders have occurred: the stabbing death of Calvin Stuart, 26, in Sunridge, Grand Bahama on July 11; the shooting death of an unidentified man on Bruce Avenue West on Grand Bahama on July 12, and the shooting death of Casey Adderley, 33, on Cox Way in New Providence on July 13. However, Superintendent Paul Rolle, who heads the Central Detective Unit (CDU) told The Guardian after those three murders occurred, that two cases which occurred prior to July 8, were reclassified as manslaughter, and the reported count of 72 murders at that time should actually have been 70. Rolle said the May 3 stabbing death of Aldean Gibson, 25, was reclassified as a manslaughter. Police reported that Gibson was stabbed to death by a 22-year-old woman known to him during an altercation. The death of Rashad Williams, 22, on May 7 was also reclassified from murder to manslaughter, according to Rolle. Williams was struck down and killed by a Honda Inspire, after he reportedly attempted to confront its occupants, who he believed shot his mother, 42-year-old Bridgette Williams, to death minutes earlier. However, Williams’ murder was removed from The Guardian’s count shortly after his death and would not have been included in the July 8 count. Therefore, even with the reclassification of Gibson’s death, at least 74 murders took place so far this year, according to our records. Yesterday, Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade claimed that, with the exception of armed robberies, that serious crimes – including murder – were down by six percent overall. Greenslade provided no hard data to support his claim. The information given by police also contradicts the commissioner’s statement. |
