Family members of a man whose head was delivered to his house on Sherlock Crescent in Duhaney Park on Saturday are refusing to comment on what is believed to be a deadly warning from people in the criminal underworld.
The man, who Jamaica Observer sources have identified only as “Yannie”, is said to have been one of the dons of the Sherlock Crescent area, which has been the scene of three related murders in recent weeks. He was also wanted for questioning by the police in connection with a number of serious crimes.
It is believed that he was killed in Spanish Town, St Catherine, decapitated, then his head was placed in a box and left in a space outside the apartment complex in which his family lives on Sherlock Crescent.
Spanish Town is the home of two notorious gangs — One Order and Klansman — who have been known to use the decapitation of their rivals as a calling card.
Yesterday the police refused to release the correct identity of Yannie, even as residents of the area maintained a deafening silence.
Head of the St Andrew South Police Division Superintendent Kirk Ricketts yesterday confirmed the reports from Observer sources that the man was believed to have been killed in Spanish Town and his head taken to Sherlock Crescent, which has seen its far share of deadly violence in recent years.
Ricketts declined to name the man as he told the Observer that the body would have to be found first before a proper identification could be done.
The mysterious discovery has caused more tension in the already violent space and, according to one police source, it is unfortunate that it occurred at a time when cops have been meeting with residents frequently to assure them they have their support.
The very few residents who were willing to speak with the Observer yesterday afternoon indicated that fear has heightened in the community.
“Di people dem fraid. As you can see, almost everybody lock up. We nuh used to dem thing yah. Normally a far out dem things yah gwaan,” said one resident.
Another resident told our news team that, “Di whole community affected by this. Di place is tense. Man dead regular, but a thing like this a di first it a occur.”
He said that he knew Yannie as a footballer who played for a club in the area at some point.
“This look like is a secret war. All di other war dem you woulda know exactly wah a cause it, but not this one,” said the resident in hushed tones.
A third resident was concerned that the incident will leave a stigma on his community.
“Mi nuh know wah a gwaan. A just pure suss. People tell me that he always walk past and call to me, but I don’t know who it is for sure. Everybody is trying to show me the picture on the phone, but I tell them I don’t want to see it.
“It doesn’t feel good because when the people go to work, even if you live in Duhaney Park, everybody going to say a your area it happen. People nuh stop call mi bout it,” said the man.
One resident, who was less reserved, told our news team that he knew Yannie personally and found him to be “okay”.
“We feel it, because he is somebody we know and we nuh really know wah go dung. From me know him ’til now I know him as an okay person. I don’t know if he did anything I don’t know of, so I can’t speculate,” said the resident as he expressed concern that things could get uglier in the community in the next few days.