Family members of the senior citizen who was allegedly chopped to death by his 17-year-old grandson in St Thomas, last weekend, say the man had been awaiting the intervention of the Child Development Agency (CDA) after reporting that the teen had threatened to kill him.
Seventy-two-year-old Conrod Kenton, who had been on vacation in the island since June, was found lying in a pool of blood at his house in Paradise Lane with three chop wounds to his head.
The gruesome discovery was made by his granddaughter around 8:30 pm.
However, following Kenton’s death his two grandsons, including a 16-year-old, were taken into custody, but the younger brother was subsequently released. esterday when theObserver visited Kenton’s home, his relatives who were still in shock questioned why he had to face such a horrific end, and wondered if he would have still been alive today if the CDA had visited him earlier.
Kenton’s sister Martha Stewart said her brother told her last Wednesday, when she visited him, that his grandsons had threatened him after they had a argument over the use of his stove, which resulted in him removing the stove burners.
“On Wednesday when I come down here, him tell me say dem giving him hell and him say the big one knock him chest and tell him say ‘you cyaan get me out; a kill mi a go kill you’,” she said.
Stewart said her brother went to the CDA office on Tuesday and reported the matter and was told that they would send someone.
“But it look like dem have another argument on Friday morning and by Friday evening he was dead ‘cause when mi come the stove and the fridge were in his room,” she said.
“The death that Pops get, him nuh deserve it. Him too good to them, “ she added.
Stewart, her brother Almando and other relatives told the Jamaica Observer that Kenton who was living overseas with his wife had given his two grandsons and two granddaughters permission to live at his home after he heard that they were not living comfortably at their grandmother’s home, following the death of their mother some three years ago.
But they said because of the disrespect and misuse of his home, he wanted them out and was planning on renting the premises.
The relatives said they are certain that he was not killed by a stranger. “The whole stretch a road a family, so a who could a do that?” Kenton’s nephew, Fritz questioned. “ Dem (the sisters) a say a lie people a tell pon Blacks but a him grandson kill him, ‘cause him threaten him and two days after him dead,” he added.
Furthermore, Fritz said the sister’s action has caused their brother to look guiltier as they have since moved out of the house. “How that look?” he asked. “Why dem neva move before?” Fritz’ father, Almando, further asked. “A no likkle talk me talk to mi brother bout them.”
“When dem kill Pops dem mek a mistake, but him should never mek dem come stay,” he said. According to Stewart, her brother was extremely generous and was a man of principle. “To how him treat dem me nah look fi dis,” she said.
In the meantime, the teen who is in police custody has not been charged as the Yallahs Police are still conducting further investigations.