Rose Hall man slain

The Biblical story tells that Caine killed his brother Abel. In a twist of fate, Clifton ‘Ling’ Caine became the victim of a knife attack disturbing the peace and tranquility of Rose Hall last Saturday evening. {{more}}

A period of uneasy tension hangs over the North Leeward village. That sombre atmosphere may continue when Caine is buried this Sunday, and his internment will add to the sadness.

Meanwhile, Raydon Ferdinand, a 30-year-old farmer of the same district, appeared before Magistrate Simone Churaman last Tuesday 1 and was remanded. He was charged with murder in connection with the incident which occurred around 9 o’clock last Saturday February 26.

The Police recovered a knife from an outside toilet at Ferdinand’s home.

Ferdinand has a May 10 date at the Serious Offences Court where Preliminary inquiry into the incident will begin.

Both men, Clifton Caine and Raydon Ferdinand, were working on different contracts of the road expansion being undertaken in preparation for the Cross Country Road at Rose Hall.

Gillian Williams, Caine’s girlfriend, is still grappling with her loss. Caine fathered four children with Williams, and she showed signs of stress as result of the sudden loss of her common law husband.

She and Caine had been together “couple years” she recalled.

She remembered seeing him at home, having just returned from the “mountain.” She said he left hurriedly. The next time she saw him was at the clinic, with the fatal wound to the left side of the body.

Caine’s family may be feeling an extra depth of sadness. His father Edward Stapleton died in near tragic circumstances June last year. A contractor of some note, Stapleton fell off a roof while doing some construction.

His son’s death, eight months after, plunges the family into further gloom.

This is the third recorded murder for the year.

Sherwin Jack died from wounds inflicted with a piece of iron at his home village of Dickson Friday January 29.

Sunday February 13, Bobby Clarke a 31-year-old Chili man died of stab wounds on the Grenadine Island of Canouan.

There were some 28 reported murders here last year, a record for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

But perhaps more astounding was the number of unsolved matters in that number. That followed a trend of escalating cases of unsolved murders here.