Why murder this servant of God?

This is an open letter to the people of Jamaica from the heartbroken family of Father Charles Brown.

Dear People of Jamaica

We are the family of Father Charles Brown, lovingly known to many as 'Uncle Charles'.

On July 24, the senseless murder and loss of our beloved brother, uncle and servant of God, Father Charles Brown, sent ripples of pain and heartache across oceans and continents.

To us, Uncle Charles was a vibrant and funny man. He really loved a good joke, was very understanding and adored animals. He devoted his life to the service of others, often sacrificing his own needs.

Uncle Charles was known to go without food or sleep in order to provide support and comfort to families in grief, to be a character witness for those facing the courts, or to joyfully perform the baptism of babies, welcoming them into the world with his kindness and warm smile.

Philanthropist

He spent his life giving from his heart, and we have had him brutally ripped from ours.

In every sense of the word, Uncle Charles was a loving and nurturing man who was not just a religious father but a father figure to many, in particular, the disaffected youth with no positive male role models in their lives. He was the kind of person who would listen to your troubles without passing judgement or breaking your confidence.

One member of our family spoke to him on the day before his disappearance and recalls that the last words said were, "I love you," to which Uncle Charles replied, "I love you more". This loving exchange was not uncommon when speaking to Uncle Charles.

So, it is with deep, deep sadness that his life was so cruelly taken in such a violent way.

As a family, we do not want revenge; there is already too much bloodshed within our communities. We do, however, want the person or persons responsible to have their day in court, look us in the eye, and try to justify their motive for causing such grave pain and sorrow to the family of a defenceless old man who would probably have helped them if only they had asked.

What could he possibly have done to cost him his life?

Police Efforts

We are very grateful to the Jamaican police force for all their hard work and countless hours trying to piece together what happened to Uncle Charles since his disappearance and their swift action in trying to locate him.

Thanks as well to the Roman Catholic Church community for their amazing support and assistance to our family and local communities. We acknowledge that they are also feeling the effects of uncle's sad loss.

Thank you also to the press for local and international coverage of our plight, and for publishing the appeal for information surrounding the whereabouts of potential suspects and leads. We hope you will continue to help us.

We are also grateful to you, the wonderful, caring people of Jamaica and around the world, for your continuous messages of support and condolences that we have received. They have been a tremendous source of comfort to us.

Please, if you know the whereabouts of person of interest Rohan Deacon, 31, aka 'USA', of Lot 620 Parrot Pathway, Phase 1, Seaview Gardens, Kingston 11, or any other person(s) who may be involved, please help us. If you have seen or heard anything, no matter how insignificant you think it may be, we beg of you, please help us and inform the local police. Until the person or people responsible are found, our suffering will continue.

Thank you for your support.