I KILLED

Abigail Chapman, 
throat slit
Abigail Chapman, throat slit

NALINEE SEELAL

SHORTLY after being arrested yesterday, as he was walking back to a quarry in Valencia where he was hiding, a 38-year-old handyman/mason of Lawrence Village, Guapo, Pt Fortin expressed remorse and gave a confession statement to police, stating that in a fit of uncontrollable rage, he murdered his one-time lover Abigail Chapman, her daughter Olivia, their landlord Michael Scott and Olivia’s schoolmate Michaela Mason.

Michael Scott, beaten to death.

Unknown to most of the country, the police were engaged in an around-the-clock, island wide manhunt for the man after the bodies of the four people were found last week Tuesday night.

Autopsies confirmed that Scott died of a blow to the head while the throats of Abigail, Olivia and Michaela, were slit.

Olivia Chapman, throat slit.

At 9 am yesterday, Sgt Vaughn Waldropt of the Northern Division Crime Patrol Unit and officers including PCs Viera, Singh, Brown, Ward and Cupid, received a tip-off from a member of the public. The officers went to the St Alban’s Quarry in Valencia where they came upon the suspect dressed in a black T-shirt and green jeans and carrying a knapsack filled with clothes.

With guns pointed at him, the suspect obeyed the officers’ instructions to surrender, kneeling and then lying on the road as he was handcuffed. At about 8.15 pm on Saturday, a male relative of the murder suspect was held at Jacob Hill in Wallerfield, on suspicion of harbouring the suspect. This relative is detained at Arima Police Station.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of Northern and Eastern Divisions, McDonald Jacob, was immediately notified of the arrest and he in turn ordered that Acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams be informed of the arrest. “This is a prime example of what good can come from partnerships with members of the public and the police,” ACP Jacob said when contacted for comment. He praised the quick response by Sgt Waldropt and his officers in effecting the arrest. He also thanked the person who tipped off the police.

Sources in Northern Division told Newsday that when the suspect was brought to the La Horquetta Police Station, he expressed remorse at the murders and claimed that in a fit of uncontrollable rage, he carried out the acts. The man told police he could not get over the fact that Abigail had ended their relationship.

Up to press time, he was being interviewed by detectives from the Homicide Investigations Bureau (Region II). Sources confirmed to Newsday that the suspect has given a statement to police confessing to killing the four people last week. Police were expected to take the suspect back to the scene of the murders so he could show officers where he hid the knife, which he used to slit the throats of the two teenage girls, and the blunt object he used to batter Abigail and Scott to death.

Last week Friday, after reviewing statements and other documents, Acting Commissioner Williams ordered that W/Sgt Rosalie Joseph-Taitt, Cpl Virendra Ramlal and WPC Nailah Homer be immediately suspended from duties at La Brea Police Station while investigations are being done by officers of the Professional Standards Bureau relative to allegations of dereliction of duty.

It was reported that four days before she was murdered, Abigail Chapman had complained to the La Brea police that the suspect had placed a knife to her throat and threatened to murder her. No action was taken then.

Police sources yesterday said he wanted to let his relatives know how sorry he was for brining shame upon them.

Comments

"I KILLED"

More in this section