Linstead butcher killed at his gate, family left devastated

Ruddy Mathison, Gleaner Writer

Family members of 52-year-old Mitchell Coley, a butcher of 4th Street in Linstead, St Catherine, who was slain this morning, are mystified and in utter grief over the killing.

It is reported that about 6 o'clock, Coley, who operated at the Linstead Market, was pounced upon at his gate by unknown assailants as he prepared to go to work.

The attackers opened fire, hitting him several times.

He was taken to the Spanish Town Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives at the murder scene Friday morning told The Gleaner that even though they have not established a motive for the killing, they are following strong leads.

There was an atmosphere of gloom at Coley's home on Friday morning where a number of family members gathered, unable to process the tragic loss of a man they say was a hard-working family man.

Daddy was a provider

"It's not easy," said his 31-year-old daughter, Kemeala Coley, who spoke to The Gleaner while trying desperately to hold back her tears.

"I was on my way down to visit him when I got the news that he was shot and killed at his gate. It come like mi in a dream right now," she said.

Kemeala, the eldest of five children - the youngest being 13 - said that her father was a jovial person who got along with others.

"As far as I know, he doesn't trouble people. He is just a hard worker who will die for his family. He is a good father who provides for us even though four of us are grown. We can't want anything and have to wait," she said.

No more Mother's Day call

The dead man's mother, Loretta Brown, was visibly disturbed by her son's murder, declaring that she did not know how she would get over the tragedy.

"Oh Jesus! God see and know. We can't tell what happened, but God knows," she said before going silent for a moment and then suddenly uttering, "Mi a go miss mi Mother's Day call. This will never come out of me."

Brown said that her son would call her every Mother's Day before taking a gift to her.

She said that his death would haunt her this coming Mother's Day.

She further stated that she had a dream early Friday morning that someone had harmed her son and that her spirit was troubled.

"When I got the call that he was shot, I told my granddaughter that I had seen it in a vision. I had dreams like this before, and when I tell him about it, he said, ‘Mama, mi nuh go out at night, so if dem a go kill mi, dem haffi do it inna mi house’."

Coley's common-law wife, Janice Hall, who is the mother of his 13-year-old, told The Gleaner that he lived mostly alone except when she made periodic visits to the house with their daughter.

She described him as a great provider for his child.

Members of the Linstead police who visited the house were visibly upset about the killing.

One senior member of the police party was overheard saying, "Look how long we have maintained the peace in Linstead and now this. We have to find who do this."

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