Investigator denies identifying murder suspect in 2017 case
Published:Tuesday | February 17, 2026 | 12:09 AMTanesha Mundle/Staff Reporter
A senior police investigator testified yesterday that he never identified any alleged members of the Clansman Gang as suspects in a 2017 murder on Roger Avenue in Spanish Town, St Catherine – and never identified any suspect at all – despite the prosecution’s case linking the killing to the gang.
“I have not identified a suspect up to this date,” the detective inspector told the court during the trial of alleged gang leader Tesha Miller and 24 other men in the Home Circuit Court.
The officer, attached to the Major Investigation Division, said he was a detective sergeant and supervising officer when George Richards, a Rastafarian, was fatally shot on September 16, 2017.
He testified that he never identified any suspect, including accused men Dwayne Frater and Lamer Rowe, whom prosecutors say facilitated murder on behalf of a criminal organisation.
The witness said he began the probe but handed it to another officer in 2018.
Under cross-examination by defence attorney Kemar Robinson, the detective acknowledged identifying “possible suspects”, but said he never elevated anyone to suspect status.
When Robinson suggested he was being untruthful, he said he “disagreed vehemently”.
He also confirmed identifying a potential eyewitness and preparing a statement in October 2017, about 25 days after the killing. The statement, he said, was based largely on notes made in his police notebook on the night of the murder. He reviewed both before testifying.
Pressed about notebook entries referencing possible suspects, the officer initially said the Roger Avenue investigation filled one page. He later conceded that related notes appeared on two additional pages.
FABRICATION DENIED
After being directed to review the surrounding pages, he agreed the entries related to the Richards murder. But when asked whether the notes naming possible suspects were tied to that case, he insisted that they concerned a different investigation – even though the address listed matched the Roger Avenue community.
He denied fabricating information, but admitted he could not recall when the possible suspects were identified. He also said he could neither confirm nor deny whether they were linked to the Richards murder without reviewing adjacent pages covering another case.
When asked whether consecutive notebook entries would logically be connected, he replied: “It could be, but I would not stick my neck out.”
The detective said that in 35 years of service he has investigated about 200 murders, with notebook entries spanning more than 100 cases. He said he analyses information as it comes and does not want to mislead the court.
One name in the notebook was “Blue”, but the officer said he could neither confirm nor deny that the individual was a suspect.
“The Blue I mentioned was from March Pen Road, based on a call I received,” he said.
Under questioning from attorney Tamika Harris, representing Rowe, the witness said he never interviewed Blue about the Roger Avenue killing and had only spoken to him in another matter. Responding to Denise Hinson, he said he never had Blue as a suspect in the murder.
The killing forms part of the Crown’s case alleging that the accused carried out 16 criminal incidents across St Catherine, St Andrew, St Mary and Clarendon between August 2017 and November 2022.
The 32-count indictment includes murder, conspiracy to murder, robbery with aggravation, shooting with intent, wounding with intent, and participation in a criminal organisation. All 25 men have pleaded not guilty. Miller is named in about 13 counts.
The trial continues before Justice Dale Palmer today.