Accused killer of homeless people to face St James Circuit Court September 30
Published:Tuesday | May 14, 2024 | 9:06 PM
Christopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Ronaldo Ricketts, the man accused of killing several homeless people in Montego Bay, St James, between July and August 2023, will make his first appearance in the St James Circuit Court on September 30, following his case’s transferral from the St James Parish Court on Monday.
Ricketts, who is of a Westgate Hills address and is charged with several counts of murder, was given the new date by presiding Parish Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton during a committal hearing which was held on Monday to determine if his case would be transferred to the higher court.
During the hearing, it was established that a prima facie [self-obvious] case had been made in relation to Ricketts, who was previously declared as being mentally fit to plead despite having been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Judge Fairclough-Hylton subsequently set September 30 as the date when Ricketts’ case will be brought before the Circuit Court for trial, and remanded him until that date.
Ricketts, who is represented by attorney Henry McCurdy, was arrested by the police on August 30, 2023 in relation to the charge of abduction. His arrest was in relation to allegations that he picked up the complainant along Humber Avenue in downtown Montego Bay and drove her to Melville Hall Avenue before pulling a knife and demanding sex from her.
The woman managed to escape from the car and screamed for help, getting the attention of nearby police officers who were on patrol at the time. Ricketts was subsequently detained and taken into custody by the officers.
It is further alleged that, while he was in custody for that incident, Ricketts confessed to the killing and wounding of several homeless people, which took place in sections of Montego Bay between July 28 and August 20 that year. It is understood that all the victims, seven in total, were stabbed with a sharp instrument while they were sleeping.
The first two victims, both unidentified and both found on July 28, 2023, were a woman whose body was discovered on Jimmy Cliff Boulevard and a man whose body was found on Barnett Street. Following those killings, a man identified only as ‘Junior Cross’ was stabbed on July 30 and was taken to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on August 18.
On August 9, 20-year-old Leonardo Lewis, otherwise called 'Raheem' or 'Ackeem', of a Breadfruit Road, Catherine Hall address, was found with stab wounds by residents along Church Lane, and was later pronounced dead.
On August 19, an unidentified man was found with stab wounds on St Clavers Avenue, but survived the incident. The following day, another man was attacked in front of the Barnett Street Police Station but survived, while the last victim, Ken Warren, was attacked and subsequently died.
Ricketts first appeared in the St James Parish Court in relation to the murder charges on September 20, 2023, after being brought to court on the abduction charge on September 13 that year.
He was initially expected to undergo his committal hearing on May 6 this year, but the hearing was rescheduled to Monday’s date as he had not been brought to court due to undergoing treatment and close observation for his mental issues.