Man refutes claims made about murdered grandson

The grandparents of dead teenager Dillon John say that there is still a lot of pain and anger over the young man’s passing, despite an arrest in his death last week.{{more}}

Noel and Yvette John visited SEARCHLIGHT newspaper’s offices yesterday, where they said that the pain is magnified by the fact that they are familiar with the person charged with the 18-year-old’s killing, and by the allegations that were made about young John.

His grandfather refuted allegations that Dillon was in the North Leeward village of Petit Bordel on Monday, as persons claimed, and that the young man was drinking and behaving badly.

John insists that their grandson was not misbehaving, and whoever spread that story did so with the intent to stain their grandson’s character.

“He was home by me on Monday,” John, a former police officer said.

“He was supposed to go down on Monday, but Monday night we cook… and about five o’ clock the (Tuesday) morning he say he ready to go.

“I carried him Tuesday morning, so I cannot see how somebody can say that he was drunk all about Petit Bordel on Monday and the child was home.

“I called him before I reached home and he said ‘Daddy I’m in the boat,’ so he didn’t have any time…. I am so mad that people are saying that ‘this little drunken boy came down Leeward and misbehave and go up in the mountain and kill himself,” the grieving grandfather said.

John, also known as “Red John,” said that his grandson had lived with him since he was a newborn baby, weighing just about one pound at birth. He said that he was very close to Dillon, who chose to go to the hills to get away from some of his peers, with whom he had conflict.

He said that he approved of Dillon going to the mountains to work, and would provide him with food and other essentials to sustain him in the hills.

When asked if their grandson was involved in illegal activities in the hills, the grandparent said he had no knowledge where that was concerned.

“I don’t know what he was doing, but he would bring home produce, sorrel, yam and this and that; and the thing about it, I was sending money and foodstuff for the guy to tell him take care of Dillon and I checked up on him up to six times a day,” his grandfather said.

John said that on the fateful Tuesday night, he called Dillon and heard part of a conversation between Dillon and the accused in the Fanny mountains.

He said when he called again, he was told something by the accused that caused him to drive to Chateaubelair.

“I am the one who reported the matter to the Chateaubelair police station, because after I call(ed) the guy…. I came down and reported the matter to the police.”

John said the police retrieved Dillon’s lifeless body the next day.

The elder John described his grandson as “any other teenager,” who, though stubborn at times, was not a spiteful person, but would stick up and make his point.

“Dillon was a child, regardless to if you and Dillon have something, in 10 minutes time you would want to know if is the same Dillon; he would come and hug you up, and everytime I reach home he would ask ‘daddy what you bring for me,’ he would phone me, ‘daddy bring something for me’ and always he would look into my room and say ‘daddy, you alright?’

“Like any other teenager you would have problems sometimes, and you would have to talk to them and anytime you talk to them you won’t expect them to feel pleased, and they would rebel….”

Regarding the charge brought against the individual, John said that he was relieved that someone was charged, despite it being someone whom he trusted.

He said that he is still perplexed as to why Dillon was killed.

“I feel, I had so much trust in that fella…. It’s somebody I used to give money to, to take care of the boy for me….” John said.

“The morning I took Dillon down, I went over to Chateaubelair to pick him (the accused) up and bring him back to Petit Bordel for him to catch the boat,” John added.

Yesterday morning, 35-year-old Alexis Baptiste was charged for Dillon’s murder.