Commissioner appeals to public to come forward and give information – ‘We will never make it on our own’

The killing on Sunday of a man who testified in a murder case should not discourage people from giving information to the police, this country’s police chief told SEARCHLIGHT yesterday.{{more}}

Uroy “Laybay” Robinson, 24, was shot and killed around 8 p.m. Sunday night in Walvaroo, Sion Hill, about an hour after he was released from police custody.

Police had detained him Friday night after a young man reported a robbery.

Robinson was the key witness in a trial, that saw two men sentenced in July, to life in prison, for a 2007 murder.

He was shot in the arm on July 24, nine days after the two men were sentenced, but it was unclear if the shooting was in relation to the court decision.

But Commissioner of Police Keith Miller said citizens should study the history of the young man and continue to assist police investigations into crimes here.

Over the years, Robinson has been charged, convicted, or imprisoned for several crimes, including gun possession, robbery, and discharging a firearm at someone.

But Miller said that Robinson having testified in the murder trial should not deter persons from relaying information to the police or testifying in court.

“He testified in a matter in the court, yes. You have people giving testimony in court everyday … People testify in all sorts of matters,” Miller said.

“But you have to study the history of that young man. That was not an ordinary case.

I am going to encourage people to continue giving information to the police, to continue giving evidence to the court,” Miller further said.

Miller was reiterating a call made during an interview with SEARCHLIGHT in Layou on Saturday, where Evans Lynch, 38, was gunned down in the street around 1 p.m.

Calvert “Boom Shack” Patterson, 48, another resident of the Central Leeward town, was found dead in an abandoned building in Argyle on Thursday.

Miller, during the interview on Saturday, urged the public to aid police investigation.

“I am really appealing to members of the public to come forward with whatever information they have. We believe that we should be in a position to solve every killing. It is important for us to bring every killer to justice.

“I am sure that relatives of the deceased will be happy to know that we make a concerted effort with the investigation so that the killer or killers can be brought to justice,” he told SEARCHLIGHT.

Miller said that people with information can call him via the police headquarters at 457-1211 or directly at 456-1102.

“Every call shall be treated with strictest confidence … I think I have a very good community base, that cooperation with members of the public. So, it is important for me to renew the call for persons to come forward and give us information, because we will never be able to make it on our own,” Miller told SEARCHLIGHT.

“All our outstanding killings, all our outstanding crimes, I want to make this general appeal again to persons to come forward with whatever information they have, so that we can bring closure to these outstanding matters.”

He further said that police would take action to prevent reprisal in relation to the death on Saturday, including protecting relatives of the suspected murderers. (kentonchance@searchlight.vc)