Vermont youngster charged with shooting death of his uncle

As the nephew of slain farmer Collie Joseph faces charges relating to his uncle’s death, the mother of two of the dead man’s children reflects on the life that was cut short.{{more}}

Bridgette Anthony believes that a running ‘beef’ between Joseph and his nephew Bridon Joseph, 30, of Vermont, may be the reason for the June 15 shooting death of the 47-year-old father of four.

Bridon was charged on June 20 with the murder of Collie, who succumbed to multiple gun shots wounds at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, after being shot outside his Vermont home, around 8:00 pm on Friday June 15.

Bridon was remanded in custody.

“They had an altercation sometime last month when CJ chop up his ice box, after he (Collie) say he (Bridon) chop him with a bottle,” Anthony informed SEARCHLIGHT during a telephone interview.

Anthony said that her common-law husband, also known as CJ was a ‘cool, calm, no nonsense person, who loved his six-year-old son and three-year-old daughter, and had plans to live to a ripe old age, and spend time with them.

“He wanted to see CeeJay and Portia grow up and bring him grand children,” Anthony explained.

“On the way to the hospital, he was saying he won’t make it and I should take care of Portia and Ceejay, because he was not going to be around.”

Recounting CJ’s last moments, Anthony said that the couple was outside of their home speaking to each other, when she began to feel cold and decided to head inside.

She said that she was about to open the door of their refrigerator, when she heard the first shots.

“I heard a Bang, bang! And then I went flat on the floor.”

“Then there was a pause, and then I heard a quick succession of shots ring out,” Anthony recalled.

“After the shots I look out the kitchen window and I saw him and he told me ‘Queen I get hit’. I started to bawl for murder and call for help.

Anthony said that two men came to her aid, and a vehicle which was passing at the same time assisted in transporting the mortally wounded man to the hospital, where he died.

A grieving Anthony pointed out that she would like to see justice served, but in the meantime she was taking the tragedy in stride.

“This wasn’t the way CJ was supposed to die, he was supposed to grow old…,” she said.

Joseph will be laid to rest this Sunday, June 24, at the Peniston cemetery, after a service at the Vermont Seventh Day Adventist Church.

Meanwhile, investigations are continuing into the shooting death of artist and educator Jennifer Lewis.

The Brighton woman was shot in the chest on Sunday, June 17, two days after her 46th birthday, while investigating a noise she heard outside her home.

She lived alone with her 88-year-old mother, whom she left the United Kingdom to look after.

Lewis was a sculptor, jewelry designer and painter, and worked along with the Adult and Continuing Education Unit, the local pottery program, and the SVG Players International Mas Band.

A number of her paintings and sculptures had been commissioned at the recently opened Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Lewis was in the process of preparing for an exhibition of her work.(JJ)