Sunday afternoons are traditionally spent at home with family members in Jamaica; however, for the residents of Boscobel in St Mary, Sunday, May 1 was spent searching for a man they loved, even as they grieved for another.
Their hope was to find Harold Nichols alive; however, they were left disappointed and overcome with grief as Nichols’ body was discovered after 4:00 pm yesterday. The body of 48-year-old Randy Hentzel had been found a day earlier on Saturday afternoon, after 12:00 pm. However, there were no signs of his colleague, missionary Nichols, after the two went on a trail in the Albion Mountain area on Saturday.
Reports from the St Mary police are that the two men rented motorcycles in Ocho Rios and went on the trail. Residents stumbled on Hentzel’s body after 12:00 pm and the police were summoned.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Dwight Powell said Hentzel’s body was found face down with his hands bound with a piece of cloth believed to be torn from his shirt. One of the motorcycles was seen beside his body. The second motorcycle was found approximately three chains away. However, there was no sign of the second missionary.
While residents hoped for the best on Sunday, they were left disappointed after the body of the second missionary was found. His head was reportedly bashed in.
The police, along with approximately 70 residents, searched for Nichols from approximately 7:00 am Sunday morning until after 2:00 pm. They later returned to search with the help of canines when the body was found.
The two men, who have been visiting Jamaica for the past 14 years, have done much work in the Boscobel area.
“They have Bible study at their homes; every day the children go there,” Councillor for the Boscobel Division Fitzroy Wilson said.
“I have been working with him for the past six to seven years,” Wilson said of Nichols.
Such was the evidence of their work, that residents turned out in their numbers to aid in Sunday’s search.
“When the children go to Bible study, he provided refreshments for them. He helped some of the kids with money for school, with their back-to-school,” Wilson said. He said Nichols and his team also built homes in the Boscobel area for indigent people.
“We have three houses now that we are working on, and just [last] Tuesday we had a meeting,” he said. He said at the meeting it was revealed that a mission team would visit the island next week and work would have continued to assist the residents.
“It’s just sad. It is very, very sad,” Wilson said.
An elderly woman who was among the residents said she was out with those who searched on Sunday because she, too, has benefited from the assistance of Nichols and his team.
“That man build a house and give me,” Goffeth Miller said.
Sharon Scott of the Red Cross in Boscobel said Nichols assisted the team to build a house for a homeless man last August.
“Those two men are two well-loved men in the community,” she said.
Scott said residents wept openly on Sunday after the gruesome discovery was made in the Albion Mountain area.
Duppy film
7-14 executioners needed! Along with some strong rope supplier.
Rip rest in heaven
Why would someone kill two men that were a help to the community and all they did was help everyone, now that these two men are gone, would their efforts continue in their memories and continue to help everyone in the community… There’s too many senseless death happening in Jamaica and it needs to stop, these men didn’t trouble no one… It comes like you can’t even leave out your house without getting hurt or killed… People should now be in fear that they too could be murdered in such a way… You rob a person, why then you must kill them too unless they knew you and could identify you… May both of their souls rest in peace…
The savagery in Jamaica sickens my stomach. If I didn’t have family there and therefore have to visit, I would sit my arse right inna me yard a Ingland. It’s a few that is giving the island a bad name. And it’s not even the teefing and killing, it’s the savagery that comes with it. Raping and chop up and shot how much time and setting body on fire and burning with acid. What kind of animals are we living mongst and what the ****ing hell are the government doing about it?
I think that there was a bigger motive than something like robbery. Even in the worst communities…missionaries and vilunteers are usually safe because they are there to help and have no interest in the foolishness that goes on in the community.
This is unfortunate,but this story sound off. I am going to call some peeps on that side .