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A young man's dream shattered by Harbour View gang
More than 4 years after ‘Jimmy’ Francis was stabbed 15 times, no one arrested for his murder
BY HG HELPS Editor-at-Large helpsh@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, January 26, 2014 70 Comments
The spot where Francis was stabbed to death in Harbour View well over four years ago. (PHOTO: MICHAEL GORDON)
JHORDAYNE 'Jimmy' Francis had shown a lot of promise as a youngster attending Kingston College.
But the teen's dream of becoming a maritime engineer was shattered when he was stabbed 15 times as he strolled along a road that he normally traversed in the well-populated East Rural St Andrew settlement of Harbour View.
That fateful evening of October 17, 2009 brought out a cruel side of Harbour View, as after the 19-year-old was stabbed by whom eyewitnesses said were three young men acting on the instructions of an area 'Don', he was left on the ground for several hours to die, without any attempt to get him medical attention.
One man who said he is well aware of what happened that night and who continues to be peeved by it all, knew and understood Jimmy thoroughly, and admired the way that he conducted himself ... not being one to promote violence, hatred and crime, but one
who had a calm demeanour, and almost permanently wore an infectious smile.
The young man told the Jamaica Observer that a certain gang in the area, called the Mad Ants Crew, was responsible for the brutal act, one of many it committed over a period of more than 15 years.
Jimmy, who shared many a smile on any given day with even those who disliked him, was said to have become involved with a young woman whom the area Don also had an interest in.
An order for him to be executed was given and the act was carried out with haste.
"The Don organised and had a deep hand in that killing," said the young man, who opted to tell his story to the Sunday Observer with the understanding that his identity is not revealed.
He said that he was disgusted by what had been happening in the general area over the years and believes that the police were not carrying out their mandate of protecting, serving and reassuring those who needed it most.
"The Don came on the scene just as the youth get stab up. When I got on the scene, Jimmy's body still hot. It was on the ground for over one-and-a-half hour. I was in the area when I hear a man say them just kill a youth roun' so.
"I did think it was my friend, because me have a friend who give pure trouble. I called a woman to find out if it was him and she say nobody nuh see him, so mi run go roun' the road and when mi go mi see the youth body on the ground, mi couldn't believe it was Jimmy.
"Two a the youth them who stab him up was still out there a run the people from off the road and them tell the girl who run the bar to lock it up and she just move fast and shut the door," he said.
What our informant said next almost shook him off an emotional ladder.
"Me see one youth wipe off him knife, tek off him shirt and wash it off. The next youth walk away without shirt and all that time, over one-and-a-half hour after them stab him up, Jimmy still pon the ground a kick, because a three of them stab him up.
"Some foam was still a come out of him mouth, but nobody could help him, because if yu try to help him them would kill yu. Everybody 'fraid and nobody no waan talk," our source said.
The police are yet to charge anyone in relation to Francis' death, four-and-a-half years after it occurred.
The informant said that a well-known man with strong political connections, and two others who both operate questionable business ventures were the leading individuals in the slaughter of Francis.
"A them a the people who run Harbour View. Everything that go on, them know bout it. Anybody who do anything that them don't know about, them get rid of them," he said.
"Jimmy was such a nice youth ... I never hear him and a next man in a argument. Him just laugh when you talk. Him did dey with one of them girl, the girl love him and them kill him because of that.
"It was something organised. He died just like that. I called Crime Stop and tell them that I know who killed him and Crime Stop tell me to go (police) station and give report. It come in like everything corrupt. After them kill him, them see the youth them who do it, and them just walk up and down every day," he added.
A check with a senior investigator who said that he was familiar with the case, revealed that the police were trying to find an eyewitness who was there when Francis died, to give them a statement, in return for them providing him with full protection.
"We are still pursuing the matter, but we need people to come forward with vital information. We have not been getting the co-operation that we would like," the investigator said.
In the meantime, the informant said that the fight for turf continues, with no clear sign of better things to come.
"The three youth them get a big money to kill Jimmy. Them kill him and it just go so," he said. "Out here in Bay Shore (Harbour View) is a dog nyam dog system. Is not a easy thing going on out here. It is all a fight for donship."
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...-gang_15872838
More than 4 years after ‘Jimmy’ Francis was stabbed 15 times, no one arrested for his murder
BY HG HELPS Editor-at-Large helpsh@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, January 26, 2014 70 Comments
The spot where Francis was stabbed to death in Harbour View well over four years ago. (PHOTO: MICHAEL GORDON)
JHORDAYNE 'Jimmy' Francis had shown a lot of promise as a youngster attending Kingston College.
But the teen's dream of becoming a maritime engineer was shattered when he was stabbed 15 times as he strolled along a road that he normally traversed in the well-populated East Rural St Andrew settlement of Harbour View.
That fateful evening of October 17, 2009 brought out a cruel side of Harbour View, as after the 19-year-old was stabbed by whom eyewitnesses said were three young men acting on the instructions of an area 'Don', he was left on the ground for several hours to die, without any attempt to get him medical attention.
One man who said he is well aware of what happened that night and who continues to be peeved by it all, knew and understood Jimmy thoroughly, and admired the way that he conducted himself ... not being one to promote violence, hatred and crime, but one
who had a calm demeanour, and almost permanently wore an infectious smile.
The young man told the Jamaica Observer that a certain gang in the area, called the Mad Ants Crew, was responsible for the brutal act, one of many it committed over a period of more than 15 years.
Jimmy, who shared many a smile on any given day with even those who disliked him, was said to have become involved with a young woman whom the area Don also had an interest in.
An order for him to be executed was given and the act was carried out with haste.
"The Don organised and had a deep hand in that killing," said the young man, who opted to tell his story to the Sunday Observer with the understanding that his identity is not revealed.
He said that he was disgusted by what had been happening in the general area over the years and believes that the police were not carrying out their mandate of protecting, serving and reassuring those who needed it most.
"The Don came on the scene just as the youth get stab up. When I got on the scene, Jimmy's body still hot. It was on the ground for over one-and-a-half hour. I was in the area when I hear a man say them just kill a youth roun' so.
"I did think it was my friend, because me have a friend who give pure trouble. I called a woman to find out if it was him and she say nobody nuh see him, so mi run go roun' the road and when mi go mi see the youth body on the ground, mi couldn't believe it was Jimmy.
"Two a the youth them who stab him up was still out there a run the people from off the road and them tell the girl who run the bar to lock it up and she just move fast and shut the door," he said.
What our informant said next almost shook him off an emotional ladder.
"Me see one youth wipe off him knife, tek off him shirt and wash it off. The next youth walk away without shirt and all that time, over one-and-a-half hour after them stab him up, Jimmy still pon the ground a kick, because a three of them stab him up.
"Some foam was still a come out of him mouth, but nobody could help him, because if yu try to help him them would kill yu. Everybody 'fraid and nobody no waan talk," our source said.
The police are yet to charge anyone in relation to Francis' death, four-and-a-half years after it occurred.
The informant said that a well-known man with strong political connections, and two others who both operate questionable business ventures were the leading individuals in the slaughter of Francis.
"A them a the people who run Harbour View. Everything that go on, them know bout it. Anybody who do anything that them don't know about, them get rid of them," he said.
"Jimmy was such a nice youth ... I never hear him and a next man in a argument. Him just laugh when you talk. Him did dey with one of them girl, the girl love him and them kill him because of that.
"It was something organised. He died just like that. I called Crime Stop and tell them that I know who killed him and Crime Stop tell me to go (police) station and give report. It come in like everything corrupt. After them kill him, them see the youth them who do it, and them just walk up and down every day," he added.
A check with a senior investigator who said that he was familiar with the case, revealed that the police were trying to find an eyewitness who was there when Francis died, to give them a statement, in return for them providing him with full protection.
"We are still pursuing the matter, but we need people to come forward with vital information. We have not been getting the co-operation that we would like," the investigator said.
In the meantime, the informant said that the fight for turf continues, with no clear sign of better things to come.
"The three youth them get a big money to kill Jimmy. Them kill him and it just go so," he said. "Out here in Bay Shore (Harbour View) is a dog nyam dog system. Is not a easy thing going on out here. It is all a fight for donship."
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...-gang_15872838