Clarendon five killed over a diss

The quintuple Cocoa Piece killer, Rushane Barnett, claimed he unleashed his wrath on his cousin, Kemesha Wright, and her four children, stabbing them to death and slitting their throats, because she disrespected him in front of her customers.

It was also disclosed that before the deadly onslaught, another cousin had overheard Barnett saying, “Mi go warn me brother out a Chapelton say mi a go kill some people tonight so him fi look out a him eye.”

Barnett in his caution statement had reported that before the incident, he was serving two men at his cousin's shop when she grabbed the money and told him not to assist any more of her customers.  He also claimed she splashed water in his face.

According to him, since that incident, his cousin's attitude towards him changed and her children also started distancing themselves from him.

The reason behind the gruesome murder which has rocked the nation was disclosed Thursday when Barnett appeared in the Home Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to five counts of murder.

Prosecutor, Andrea Martin Swaby shared chilling details from Barnett's caution statement about how the victims were murdered.

Barnett said on June 20, about midnight, they were at home when Wright told him to lock the gate and he told her that he heard a vehicle.

He said his cousin checked and indicated that she did not see anything.

According to him, he looked at her, and she looked at him “as if she was preeing him”.

He said she reached for something on the dresser, but he did not see what it was.

However, he said he “preed in the heavens that it was a knife or a scissors” and he reached for a knife that he had and “stabbed her up”.

Barnett said at the time when he attacked her she was holding her children.

After that he said two of her children rushed to the dresser and started hurling things at him and he advanced on them and stabbed them.

According to him, the eldest child, who was in her room, picked up a pair of scissors and he rushed at her and stabbed her after she fell.

“When everybody dead he charged off and threw his shorts and knife over the side where the ackee tree was located,” the court heard.

Wright and her children, Kimanda Smith, 15; Sharalee Smith, 12; Rafaella Smith, 5; and 23-month-old Kishawn Henry Jr, were discovered in their home on June 21.

What the post-mortem report showed:

Kemesha Wright – 48 incised wounds to her neck, chest, abdomen and limb.

Kishawn Henry Jr – 11 incised wounds inclusive of an incised wound to the neck.

Kimanda Smith – 9 incised wounds and 4 stab wounds

Sharalee Smith – 22 incised wounds and two scratches

Rafaella Smith – 5 incised wounds and a gaping wound to the upper neck.

The victims died as a result of haemorrhage, shock and multiple sharp force injuries and throat injury.

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