Villagers push to solve murder of U.S. visitor
On the first day this week without a murder, it may seem like overkill to lead tonight’s newscast with a story on a homicide–especially one that occurred back in March. But the unsolved death of an American woman in Gales Point Village has left the picturesque community in a state of fear and agitation. This morning, as villagers search for justice and the police move closer to an arrest, I returned to the scene of the crime.
Dana Myers, Chairman, Neighbourhood Watch Programme
?Everybody have idea ah weh happen, for sure. I have wah idea. I get threatened, they threaten to kill me ovah this, because I gone pon the media over this same story. But I tell them, the only somebody who could kill me dah God, and if they kill me, I know somebody wah kill them back cause God noh the sleep.?
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
It will be three months since the body of fifty-seven year old Jovanna Poe, a U.S citizen, was retrieved from the lagoon at Gales Point Village. Poe?s body was discovered wrapped in a sheet that was tied with a rope and anchored to an eight inch cement block. Although authorities strongly suspect that members of the Perez family, who were well acquainted with the deceased, may know what happened, no one has been arrested for the gruesome crime.
Dangriga police have been trying to put together new information they have been receiving that suggests at least six people from the village are involved in the murder.
The two main suspects, twenty-five year old Leon Perez and thirty-one year old Francisco Perez said they are not prepared to give an on camera interview. The brothers both denied having anything to do with the killing and said that the police have been harassing them. News 5 understands that authorities have been investigating reports that three young men broke in the house where Poe was staying. Their motive: robbery of several thousand dollars Poe had set aside for a land purchase. It is not clear what transpired inside the bedroom, but word in the village is that Poe was knocked in the head with a hammer and her body was then wrapped in a sheet, carried outside, and dumped in the water. Villagers say because more than one person committed the crime, there is the possibility that someone will eventually talk. That talk coincides with a stepped up investigation by police.
Dana Myers
?They will have the killer, and they wah have the killer shortly. Today the policemen were here again everyday they are in here.?
Chairman of the village neighbourhood watch programme, Dana Myers, says the crime has negatively affected the community and they need to see justice done.
Dana Myers
?This bring a shame inna all of our face weh live on this peninsula. And I think that dah wah sickness, that wah disease that bring yah cause people can?t live their life without remembering that everyday.?
?They want they find the person weh do this killing because number one, the policeman they di come back yah and pick up people from different families weh not even involve, but you know how they work, they want information. But some of the people volunteer to give information.?
Poe, a resident of Taos, New Mexico, first came to Gales Point in the late 1990’s. She was active and passionate in her dedication to conserving the area’s unique environment.
