Arrests made in latest killings
(CNS): Updated Monday 8:30am-Police say they have now arrested four men in relation to Cayman’s two most recent murders. On Sunday a 39-year-old man was arrested in relation to the shooting of 20-year-old Tyrone Burrell, who was killed in Birch Tree Hill, West Bay, in September. Two men were also arrested over the weekend in connection with the violent slaying of Jack Forbes in Bodden Town on Friday night. An 18-year-old and 36-year-old man are both in police custody having been arrested for murder following operations in George Town and North Side in connection with that crime. On Monday morning police confirmed the arrest of a third, 20 year old man, on Sunday also in conncetion with the Forbes murder.(Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
Forbes,who was 49, was reportedly beaten to death in the Plaza Odessa following a fight which had erupted at a bar. The three arrests were made after a series of targeted operations involving USG, CID and uniform officers, police said.
Then on Sunday 3 October another RCIPS joint operation involving CID, uniformed officers, the Air Operations Unit, Scenes of Crime staff and the USG was launched in the Birch Tree Hill area.
During the operation a man was arrested on suspicion of murder, possession of ganja and consumption of ganja. The man currently remains in police custody. Officers said that another 30-year-old man was arrested in the same operation on suspicion of possession of ganja and consumption of ganja.
Burrell was gunned down in what was believed to be another gang related killing in a yard in Birch Tree Hill during a social function, in the same location where Damion Ming was killed in March. Police said that Burrell was not a police witness in any investigation but they believed he did have information relating to a current criminal case and had chosen not to reveal that information. Police have charged 26-year-old Raziel Jeffers with Ming’s killing.
Category: Headline News
05 October 2010
On behalf of the family of the late Jack Kennedy Forbes, please allow us to share a few of our concerns.
We would first like to state our (that being the Forbes’ family) – displeasure in which the Media is broadcasting the death of our loved one. The article in the Caymanian Compass dated Tuesday, 05th October 2010 and titled “Homicide victim had MANY CONVICTIONS” is a deep innuendo to the public by the writer to state that due to Jack’s past – his death may have been well deserved.
Additionally, the article printed, quotes sections of court records dating back and leading up to Jack’s conviction in 2001 – purposefully omitting pertinent details surrounding the case and insinuates a personal, and biased opinion as to the type of character Jack was.
To clarify any misconceptions, the purpose of these comments are not to persuade the public into thinking that Jack was untarnished. Like many, he had his issues and opted for negative choices in his life that were most unfavorable to his family and society alike. However, (and although his parents preceeded him in death), he was someone’s child, a brother, a father, an uncle, and to many – a friend. The nature in which he died should not be wished or bestowed on anyone – regardless of their past.
For our family – now is a time of grief and mourning – as our family is one member smaller. Our only request is that any rumored or printed details pertaining to and surrounding Jack’s death, be done so on a factual basis, with empathy and without prejudice. May we – as a Christian nation – remember that we alone cannot be judge and jury as we each will have an obligation to answer to God for our own actions.
We would like to sincerely thank those of the public – (family, friends and strangers) – who have extended kind condolences to our family in this matter.
Steve Watler and Jack Forbes – may you both R.I.P.
My condolences to your family. You are right, no one deserves to die like that.
Sorry, but it’s very clear that the man was a dangerous habitual criminal. Your family may be displeased with the comments, but you’ve had a long time to get prepared for what appears to be the inevitable outcome of his life of violence and criminality.
R.I.P Jack for as long as you had the blood of Jesus on your hands…you will live again
I will save my accolades for when the criminals are found guilty and are behind bars. The sad truth is that arrests do not mean the suspects will be prosecuted successfully.
I would advise all you who are praising the police and legal system regarding the recent murder arrests to read the CNS article entitled "Crown Witness AWOL at Trial".
Still no update on the Abduction and ransom case CNS?
I heard the alleged mastermind was given bail.
Transported Soil please take a look at this 2006 Report entitled "Pre-disposing Factors to Criminality in the Cayman Islands". A good start for the source of our current problems.
It never ceases to amaze me the amount of funds spent to do produce such reports yet they always seemed to be filed away collecting dust. Very interesting read nonetheless.
http://www.gov.ky/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/CIGHOME/FIND/ORGANISATIONS/AZAGENCIES/PLG/DOCUMENTS/CRIMINALITYREPORT.PDF
Thank you! Thank you! This is exactly what I mean! This thing is 4 years old!? I agree with you – what is the point of spending the money on such VALUABLE research only to ignore the findings and bury the document?
CNS, PLEASE do a story on this report! I am printing all 273 pages and working through it this week with a highlighter and a red pen! I have teenage boys and will absorb every word to ensure that I do everything I can to keep them out of trouble!
Cayman, do yourself a favour and take the time to read this too. First for yourself and your children and then as an awakening to what we are dealing with. We need to break out of our comfort zones and lend a hand to our sick country.
Glad to know that the legwork was already done and sickened to think that no one has done anything to work backwards from these findings to fix the problem.
These arrests show what may be possible when police and the public cooperate to address crime.
It takes more than just the gathering of physical evidence to make a case. Witness statements can add key information which can even lead the police on the track to gathering even more evidence.
The RCIPS can work quickly with the cooperation of the public. Reality is not the solved-in-60-minutes world of television police dramas.
Arrests are only meaningful if they get the right people. We won’t know untill the outcome till trial.
Rest in Peace Jack! You didn’t deserve to die in this horrific way – no one does.
I agree r.i.p. Jack
XXXXX
Parents and guardians, stop encouraging your children to do wrong. Make them get out of the house every day and look a job. Dont feed them if they dont find one. The business community need to give them a chance because it could be you get robbed or your child accidently killed.
has anyone given thought to the fact that crime has always been like this. We were never made aware of it island wide? More ppl know about now and that is the tipping point. Look at police annual report ahh?
just a thought….paradise was lost long time ago.
I have to disagree that crime has always been like this.
It was never this bad – not that many years ago there was a time when we barely had 1 murder for the year. Now we are averaging about 10. That’s a huge increase in the murder rate!
Take one day and go to the court’s office and you will see the overwhelming list of people in and out of the court system for numerous charges, prison is overcrowed. All of this is fairly new to Cayman and it keeps getting worse.
when we talking bout murdahs yea obviously they werent as bad or frequent, but come on now. Robbery, Drugs, burglary
my source, as provided by CNS,
http://www.cfatf-gafic.org/downloadables/mer/Cayman_Islands_3rd_Round_MER_%28Final%29_English.pdf
Go to Page 12….i jus sayin…imagine i a proper analysis was done for the last two years…
"has anyone given thought to the fact that crime has always been like this"
Man, go fly a kite!
Are you really telling us that the murder rate (there has been 8 murders this year) was at this level all along!
I dont know where you coming from, but here in Cayman the murder rate is at an all time high and it is shocking and we have to do everything possible to stop murders on our Paradise Island.
why dont you reread what the person said !!!! and look at the examples given
No….not like this!!! Crime was never THIS bad before. Nor was it so rampant and frequent. Have you looked at the police report? Is your assessment based on statistical fact or merely musings?
I understand your point – that since we now have access to everything almost at the moment of the act (thank you CNS!) it would seem to us that crime is more prevalent, but we are not the size of Cuba where something on the east coast takes a long time to reach the west side, if at all…
Cayman has always been small and we have always been aware of the murders, accidents, robberies etc. within a reasonably short period of them happening – certainly by the Monday morning after the weekend.
If you wish to make comments like this – and I am not being rude to you – please provide a statistical analysis for the past 5 – 10 yrs of reported criminal activity with which to prove your point.
I can assure you that you will find that the last 2-3 yrs have seen a marked increase on all fronts and certainly within the last 18 months you will find the #s are probably at an all time high.
So rather than assume that this is the case and cry about the spilled milk why don’t we all examine WHY this is happening? Is it:
The economy?
The influx of expats? (of blue collar status)
The indiscriminate granting of statuses?
The illegal residents since Ivan?
Ivan itself?
The lack of protection from our government?
The low self esteem of our youth?
The hopelessness of our people?
The influence of other cultures?
The influence of entertainment?
Inadeqate parenting? No parenting? Single parenting?
What is the problem Cayman? If we can interview all of those people who committed crimes in – let’s just say – the past 24 months with a series of questions relating to their demographic, their home life, their childhood, their education, their morals, their work status, their birthplace etc etc and start building a profile on those who are disrupting our peace – do you think we might come to some conclusion that may give insight into WHERE this is coming from and WHY it is happening?
Of course, first we must catch them, eh!? That leads to another set of questions about our dear old RCIPS…which, I must add, has been getting better with age!
Look Cayman (expats and indigenous alike) – if you want a peaceful country you must take stock of what will make it that way and fix the broken parts. You have to get your feet wet, jump on in and help the police if you witness something criminal or know of something illegal. We cannot complain that it is paradise lost if we aren’t willing to do what it takes to stop the madness.
Would you jump in front of a speeding vehicle to push your child out of harm’s way? I would. So why are we so scared to speak up against activities that are killing our children and ruining our island?
Just a thought..
Excellent post.
You have forwarded some excellent suggestions however I doubt much will be done in regards to your stated queries.
What makes this even more absurd is that by the number of existing governmental bodies, departments, sub-departments and committees – all of these issues and statistics should by now be a mouse click away … but that’s Cayman for you.
Our main focus of the past 30 years was "make that money".
Again, excellent post – you really captured the reality of our current situation when you made reference to "the low self esteem of our youth".
That right there illuminates the otherwise mysterious driving force behind so many of our negative developments today.
To make matters worse – many of our youths have actually convinced themselves that they are strong, bold and confident in their new perspective on life – this is a very sad but dangerous set of circumstances for any community to endure.
To da bone,
I beg to differ with you, I was born & raised here and probally could be twice your age, and all this is strange to us, murder was very,very,very rare. Theft was rare too. In the last 10 years this have gotten out of hand, and I dont care what anyone says it has nothing to do with the economy, it all stems from the type of life that you choose to live and what type of behaviour you were encouragedto get away with. Unfortunately we all have to pay the price for their inconsiderate actions. Get a grip on life and start having respect for your family and country.
That’s a lot of excellent work and results in so short a period of time. This is what the people of Cayman want. Put the pressure on the criminal element and keep it on 24/7. Great job RCIPS.
Maybe now people will stop talking about the ineffectiveness of the RCIPS. They are only as good as the evidence and statements they receive and if everyone continues to turn a blind eye crimes will not be solved.
Gracious Goodness, you see when the shoe is on the other foot how people change suddenly? because the police did not make an arrest immediately after the tragic event posters trash the daylight out of them.
Now look at the accolades and praise being given to them. We must be patient. In our Society people "want what they want and they want it now". It take time and work people. You can see how some young people adopt the same kind of "instant Gratification" in areas of employment and promotion. It takes work and sometimes a long time to achieve results.
Hats off to the RCIPS
No killing is warranted at anytime, however the way that this man was brutally killed in this parking lot and no one seems to care or call the police on what they saw or heard is callous. It speaks volume on what WE as Caymanians will tolerate. I am asking every one to please be more tolerant with each other, be our brothers keeper, share evidence with the police, if we keep this attitude up heaven knows whats going to become of this place.
Jack Forbes is not a hero but his death should be a lesson that there is some very wicked evil people out there and we need to stop this cycle of hate and anger that is so prevalent now.
Dont blame Jacks death on the economy either, that has nothing to do with what is happening now. Whats happening is the LAZINESS of these useless people that sits on their lazy asses and want a hand out too lazy to get up and find a job, not that the jobs are not there its that they are praying that they dont get one. Look at how they hang out in the patking lot doing nothing, begging, harrasing those that work for a living. How can we rid our selves of these types. Maybe the government should have a compound where they round up all these types that wont work and hang out in areas and disturb the community and house them, make them work in the compound for their meals, even if its prison, they do not deserve to be in society. I want my little Island that was so safe to be just that once again.
To 1744; playing dominos in police stations! i am sorry, do you have your facts twisted somehow? perhaps you should do a tour of "certain stations" to see who has time on their hands to play dominos whilst on duty. give these guys credit when its due. they bust their butts working to solve crimes under a constant barrage of criticism and could easily throw in the towel but yet they plug on even though we constantly throw low blows at them left, right and center. keep at it RCIPS there are people still in your corner who are confident that you will sort out this mess that society has created. i have a good friend in CID and i am aware that his family barely ever see him anymore because of the dedication to solve the many issues affecting our country.
Well done RCIPS … there may be many that clamor about the the ineffectiveness of our police force, and their in-ability to reduce crime… but more and more we are seeing results like this… criminals caught, and I commend the RCIPS. Crime is on the rise, thats for sure, and unfortunately the laws and lawyers of this world have made sure that the criminals have all the rights in the world… no sense talking about rounding up people that we suspect are bad… the law says you have to catch them in the act or have evidence after the fact (crime)…. that means the crimes have to be committed (unfortunately) and then the police can act.
Congrats again to our police force and the valiant officers who put it on the line every day for our sakes, and those of our families.
And the CREDIT goes to the Commissioner of Police!
I guess thats where you would like to place the credit, on the commissioner. I can assure you he would have made not difference had it not been for the majority of talent local officers working night and day on solving these crimes and the change in the laws to support and encourage witnesses to come forward
Keep harrassing those well known gangstas (just as Rudi Gulianni did in New York), RCIPS, and you will calm the crime thing down considerably. Follow them. Photograph them. Stop them and chat with them about their families, church attendance, how their kids are doing in school, and any and all these nice legal things and harrass the damn criminal ass off them. Never let them out of your sight and keep it legal. It pisses them off when they know YOU know what’s going on (as you do). Sitting in your police stations playing dominos and waiting for the phone to ring wont do in this day and age.
Glory be, I am one happy camper tonight, this was a senseless slaying, no one deserves to be brutally beaten like this man was, regardless of who or what he was, a human being was slain brutally and this speaks volumes for what is happening here. The quick arrest should be applauded by all.
Please lets do our civic duty and assist the police in any way we can, as this affects all of us.
Way to go RCIP.
Always remember…..what goes around, comes around!!
That explains the early morning helicopter activity in the area. Do we dare say that police are making steps to solving crimes? We can only hope so!
These beggars hanging out near businesses is nothing but a set up for being robbed and a steak-out for the robbers.
Why are there not signs put up on business places that read’
"NO LOITERING VIOLATERS WILL BE ARESTED BY POLICE"
That way the loiters and loafers cannot steak-out a business owner all day to establish what his business habits are;. such as, what time he arrives at work, what time staff changes over a shift, what time he banks his money and or what time he steps into his car with his money !
this can all be avoided by making some adjustments in our environment.
The minister for Labor and Immigration need to be there as well.
Cayman needs a job fair and invite everyone to register for work.
Labor office in turn should work with the Immigration Board to ensure those job openings are filled by qualified Caymanians before a work permit can be issued.
Everyone is nota white shirt and tie candidate. so we have to create jobs also for blue collar workers to eliminate crime and give people back their dignity. The solution to this unnecessary hardship is by assisting Caymanians enabling them to work for an honest living in their own country and be able to take care of their families again.
A young man said recently it looks like the country is being mashed up deliberately. Could it be that someone is being paid big bucks to put guns into the hands of these young people to shoot at each other. rob businesses. XXXXX
This country has gotten really bad over the past year.
The premier needs to do something with his own district. Like rounding these weedhead idlers up throwing them on the back of a truck and make them work on a farm, sweep up the streets of shovel some dirt out of Mount Trashmore. But it is not right for them to be walking around freely harassing our tourists begging for money making us look like the 3r world country we are fast becoming! We must save our country.
Most of Mr. McKeeva Bush needs to use one of those locked up buildings in West bay and convert it into an ALL AGE SCHOOL, PROVIDING FREE EDUCATION FOR THEM..Lack of Education breeds crime. It needs to stop.
Stop traveling overseas so much and do something to fight crime in West Bay.Walk around with your body guards and ask those boys on the corner loitering doing nothing what IS THEIR PROBLEM when you find out help them to overcome and give them the resources they need to better their life.