More charges coming says ACP

Investigators here are promising more arrests in relation to serious crimes in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), specifically homicides, following on the heels of charges laid recently in murders committed last year and this year.

The Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) is particularly proud of four recent murder charges laid, that of the arrests of Michael “Metal” Lyscott; Lemar “Chak” Issacs; and Orande “Bells” Dunbar.

Lyscott is charged with two murders, that of Delano “Smoke” Patrick of Layou on October 15, 2023, and the November 18, 2023 murder of Leon Gaymes, another Layou resident. Issacs is charged with the murder of Zeno “Sarge” Lee, a 33-year-old man from Murray’s Village, killed on June 16, 2024; and Dunbar, a 37-year-old man of Rillan Hill, who is charged for the September 7, 2023 murder of Jervany “Luche” Baptiste of Rose Place. The 29 year old was shot and killed in Buccament Bay while making his way to work.

Speaking last Monday August 12, 2024 on “Voices”, a radio programme on WE FM, which with sit-in host, Executive Editor of iWitness News, Kenton Chance, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) with responsibility for crime Trevor Bailey said, “…you would have seen recently we would have made about four arrests in recent times after our last press conference with more to come…”.

ACP Bailey’s comment was specific to older matters still under the microscope as investigators continue to look at the evidence collected in relation to homicides and other crimes.

The four murder charges referenced were laid following a Police press conference in Kingstown on July 17 this year. The briefing was held to update the public on incidents of crime, more specifically, an attempted robbery at the South Rivers branch of the General Employees Cooperative Credit Union (GECCU) on Tuesday July, 16, 2024.

Following the press conference, Erasto Dasilva, a 33 year old bartender of Canouan; Lemar “Chak” Isaacs, 23, unemployed, of McKies Hill; Esroy Jeffers, a 28-year-old painter of Layou; Rakiesha “Bim Bim” Joseph, a 26 year old unemployed of Layou; Sharome Dopwell, of New Montrose; and Enrique “Shoeboo” John of Layou received six charges, among them, robbery, gun and ammunition possession, and attempted murder.

ACP Bailey said investigators usually sit together and discuss cases and question certain investigative techniques, “…did we do this, and when you realize this has been missed, by the time you double check this, that is the puzzle, that is the part that missing,” the ACP explained.

Last year, this country recorded 55 homicides, 52 of which were classified as murders, a new record.

So far this year, 29 homicides have been recorded.