Key witness in BottomTown murder trial shot dead

A witness in a double murder case was gunned down and killed last weekend and a police manhunt is still on for the killer or killers.

The death of Carlisle “Saddam” Joseph of McKies Hill on Saturday October 21 came just over a year after he witnessed two murders at Bottom Town. It was Saturday October 8, 2005 that gunmen pulled up in an SUV and sprayed two young men with bullets. {{more}}

Carlisle was reportedly shot three times while in Rose Place around 6:40 pm Saturday.

His mother, Lovina Joseph, said that she was coping with the help of Jesus.

On hearing that her son was shot, Lovina hurried to his side where he was frothing from his mouth and crying about the pain coming from his stomach and chest area.

The grief stricken mother said that it appeared that Carlisle was trying to tell her something but could only mourn in painful agony as he died in her arms with his eyes and mouth wide open.

“All I want is justice from the courts for my son,” she said wiping away the tears with her hands. “He was shot twice in his arms and once in his back and the doctors say that one of the bullets like it enter his back and reach by his heart,” she sobbed.

He was rushed to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital where doctors and nurses tried unsuccessfully to save him.

Carlisle, who turned 30 on October 11 was a key witness in a murder trial stemming from the death of Brian “Free-I” Lewis and George “Nikki” Browne. That trial was set for the Assizes which started this month.

Lovina remembers a son who wouldn’t talk much and who had to warm up to people because he was so serious, hence his nickname “Saddam.”

She said he was never a troublemaker but his downfall was that he hung out with the wrong crowd and probably got caught up with their dealings.

The mother said that “Carlisle used to wake up every morning and take my ice-box every day under Jax where I would sell snacks as a vendor. He was a very helpful boy but since his friends Free-I and Nicky died it seemed like he had a lot on his mind.”

Lovina said that if she knew that her son who was the third of her children was going to die, she would have told him much more how much she loved him because he was always good to his mother but now it was too late.

She believes that on Monday her son’s spirit came to visit her around 1 am when she heard his familiar knock at the door.

“I knew it was him. The knock was the way Carlisle used to knock. When I realised it was him I just said, ‘Carlisle God keep you and I hope that your soul is at rest’.”