WOMAN’S BODY FOUND

Tears streamed down their faces; some cried in anguish and for others, tempers flared.

This is what transpired at the murder scene of the late Lakita Duke of Diamond last Saturday, as relatives and friends expressed their grief uncontrollably and tried to come to grips with her brutal death.{{more}}

The 21-year-old domestic’s nude body was discovered in a bushy area at Diamond approximately 11 o’clock that morning by her boyfriend Alfred “Philmore” Allen, while he was returning a gas bottle to a neighbour. It is believed that she was raped.

Her savage death was too much for him to bear. He fainted.

Allen said he last spoke with his girlfriend about 5:30 p.m. the evening before. He pointed out that she had called to ask him not to cook because she was bringing home a box of chow mein for him.

A distraught Allen recalled: “She said when she leave town she will call me to come out the road to meet her.” He never received that telephone call.

The young man said it is not unusual for Duke not to come home because sometimes she stays at her mother’s residence at Glen. However, on this occasion what he found strange is that she did not call to let him know she had had a change of mind and was not coming home.

And for Allen, Duke staying at her mother’s residence that night was sort of an advantage for him. On Wednesday, August 10, he had celebrated his birthday and for his gift, Duke had bought him a stereo. He said shortly after he had collected it, he was very elated and in a hurry to use it, so much so that he ended up burning it out.

“I said boy when she reach home she will be upset because I had burnt out another radio before,” Allen told SEARCHLIGHT.

So, on Saturday morning Allen claimed that he made it his duty to get the stereo repaired at a technician in the area before Duke got home.

He said on his way home, shortly after 10 a.m. he saw a slipper resembling that of Duke’s at the roadside. He said he found that to be strange because Duke had always kept all shoes on the inside of their home which was not too far away. Allen said at that point he got worried that someone had broke their home while he had gone to repair the stereo.

Allen explained, a while after he got home and realized that his home was intact he decided to return a gas bottle to a neighbour.

“This time I found the other foot of slipper. When I looked across I saw somebody lying without clothes in the bushes,” Allen sighed, adding that he managed to scream for help before collapsing.

“I fainted, I did not know myself after,” Allen stressed as tears streamed down his face.

At the murder scene a woman cried:”Oh Lawd, why all yuh wicked so? Why all yuh have to kill Lakita like that?”

Maureen Daniel, a neighbour and friend of Duke and Allen, said last Friday night she saw Duke pass her home sometime after 8 o’clock. Daniel said she even made a joke with Duke. She said she saw two men travelling in the same direction with Duke, and of one these men has a history of rape crimes. The woman said it had never crossed her mind that Duke was in harm’s way.

In the heat of the moment last Saturday, an altercation developed between Allen and another resident of the area. This young man was taken into custody to assist the police with their investigations.

Meanwhile, Monica Richards a close friend of Duke, described her as a very loving and genuine person, though she did not speak much.

“She was just nice and quiet,” said Jane Williams, a close friend of Duke.

Duke’s murder is the second in the past two months and a half in the Diamond community.

On Sunday, May 29, Caldric Glasgow was stabbed to death.

Eleador Patterson and his girlfriend Dion Bacchus have been charged with this murder.

she was raped.

Her savage death was too much for him to bear. He fainted.

Allen said he last spoke with his girlfriend about 5:30 p.m. the evening before. He pointed out that she had called to ask him not to cook because she was bringing home a box of chow mein for him.

A distraught Allen recalled: “She said when she leave town she will call me to come out the road to meet her.” He never received that telephone call.

The young man said it is not unusual for Duke not to come home because sometimes she stays at her mother’s residence at Glen. However, on this occasion what he found strange is that she did not call to let him know she had had a change of mind and was not coming home.

And for Allen, Duke staying at her mother’s residence that night was sort of an advantage for him. On Wednesday, August 10, he had celebrated his birthday and for his gift, Duke had bought him a stereo. He said shortly after he had collected it, he was very elated and in a hurry to use it, so much so that he ended up burning it out.

“I said boy when she reach home she will be upset because I had burnt out another radio before,” Allen told SEARCHLIGHT.

So, on Saturday morning Allen claimed that he made it his duty to get the stereo repaired at a technician in the area before Duke got home.

He said on his way home, shortly after 10 a.m. he saw a slipper resembling that of Duke’s at the roadside. He said he found that to be strange because Duke had always kept all shoes on the inside of their home which was not too far away. Allen said at that point he got worried that someone had broke their home while he had gone to repair the stereo.

Allen explained, a while after he got home and realized that his home was intact he decided to return a gas bottle to a neighbour.

“This time I found the other foot of slipper. When I looked across I saw somebody lying without clothes in the bushes,” Allen sighed, adding that he managed to scream for help before collapsing.

“I fainted, I did not know myself after,” Allen stressed as tears streamed down his face.

At the murder scene a woman cried:”Oh Lawd, why all yuh wicked so? Why all yuh have to kill Lakita like that?”

Maureen Daniel, a neighbour and friend of Duke and Allen, said last Friday night she saw Duke pass her home sometime after 8 o’clock. Daniel said she even made a joke with Duke. She said she saw two men travelling in the same direction with Duke, and one of these men has a history of rape crimes. The woman said it had never crossed her mind that Duke was in harm’s way.

In the heat of the moment last Saturday, an altercation developed between Allen and another resident of the area. This young man was taken into custody to assist the police with their investigations.

Roslyn Duke, Latika’s mother told SEARCHLIGHT that she was very shocked when she heard the news of her daughter’s demise.The elder Duke said that just the day before her daughter had spent most of the day with her and had left her Glen resident at about 6:30 p.m. Roslyn said she’ll now have to care for Latika’s three-year-old son, Odano Duke. Duke said she’ll like to see

her daughter’s killer(s) brought to justice for this crime.

Meanwhile, Monica Richards a close friend of Duke, described her as a very loving and genuine person, though she did not speak much.

“She was just nice and quiet,” said Jane Williams, a close friend of Duke.

Duke’s murder is the second in the past two months and a half in the Diamond community.

On Sunday, May 29, Caldric Glasgow was stabbed to death.

Eleador Patterson and his girlfriend Dion Bacchus have been charged with this murder.