FOUR men transporting a $2-million payroll for workers on the Chinese-constructed Linstead to Moneague Leg of the North/South link of Highway 2000 were brutally murdered yesterday in a daring daylight robbery in the community, of Bowers Wood on the outskirts of Bog Walk in St Catherine.
The dead men, all said to be employed to the project have been identified as Courtney Courbourne, 38, Carlton Scott, 37, Greg Harris, and another man identified only as Kirk.
According to the police, approximately 3:30 pm the men were travelling through the community with the cash to pay a group of employees who are working on the highway when they were ambushed by criminals carrying high-powered weapons.
“Reports received are that the men intercepted the vehicle and opened fire while they were making their way to the community,” the police told the Jamaica Observer.
Police said the vehicle transporting the men overturned as it appeared the driver was attempting to escape but was impeded by the narrow roadway.
The criminals then went over to the injured men as they lay suffering from gunshot wounds, and fired several additional shots.
The men then took off with the payroll.
Yesterday, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Central St Catherine Natalie Neita-Headley described the attack as vicious and brutal.
“The incident has really left me in shock,” said the MP, who was at home with her family when she got word of the tragedy.
Neita-Headley, during a late evening visit to the area, told the Observer she was making preparations to meet with some Chinese nationals to allay fears and assure them that work would continue on the highway.
It is understood that close to 70 people were left without pay.
Residents in the area described the incident as the worst to take place in recent history.
“Our community is a peaceful and quite area, and to see something like this come happen has left us all in shock,” said Horace Johnson, a 48-year-old family member of one of the victims.
Peter Lee, another resident in the area, said the incident has left him traumatised.
“The men were hard-working, honest men and to see their lives snuffed out like that is just sad,” said Lee.
The incident comes little over one month after four people where gunned down in separate incidents in Linstead, St Catherine, in August.
How dem gunman know seh dem did a come wid money? & who walks/drive around wi su much cash innah dem yah time and age..u guh tell mi dem couldn’t find a bettah method fi dole out di pay, innah J’ca weh people a get killed fi way less? Now 4 men lose dem life (may their souls RIP)and dem haffi guh pay dem people deh dem money. Can almost bet seh a someone dem tell/know do it. Di death rate a Jamdung just a pile up suh.
Thats just so mess up, and one of the reason the country will never get better. All these murders killing innocent people just doing their jobs. Rob the payroll if you want and leave them with their life. How many kids did they leave to suffer.Thats why when police kill them I don’t give a rats ass.
Yea that wasn’t the best solution, pay guardsman or somebody else to deliver the money. Somebody said something and the word went around and it was clearly a set up. So f**ked up though, 70 ppl without their pay and most of all 4 men life cut short with their families left to mourn and remember them. RIP.
Just plain SAD. RIP and I hope justice come swiftly.
One a dem ppl deh weh fi get pay set up dat
Hungry days boi, Bob Marley did say “when you got to get some food, your friend has to be your worst enemy” smh RIP zion bound
THIS IS CLEARLY A SET UP. ITS SO SAD
Bring back the death penalty.
Jamaica is still a cash economy, but a full time now, dem move away from this obsolete way of conducting business, a gi labourers on site money inna likkle brown envelope, and start implementing electronic means of payment, via online banking. What about preparing cheques to d payees or transferring their salaries to their accounts?? D act of transporting cash to sites on payday is very dangerous for both the bearer and the recipient.
mi know one ah di b dem. (kirk rip) him gone lef 4 youth. mi nah lie dah bredda work very hard. mi really feel like CHEC mek dem dweet cause him neva waan pay tax and revenue. yuh know chiney ppl dem mean already, so anything fi nuh pay money dem inna. obviously ah sumpn di mon dem do already, but mi feel like dis money was di biggest amount dem eva do yet, and 1 outta di 4 get craven.