Ex-wife of Coast Guard officer who killed wife, himself: 'Women, please walk away'

The ex-wife of the Coast Guard officer who shot and killed his wife and himself on Saturday said while she was saddened by the deaths, she was not surprised.

On Saturday, around 9 am, residents of Hibiscus Avenue Extension in Edinburgh 500, Chaguanas heard gunshots and alerted the police. When the police arrived, they found the bodies of Kester “Congo” Williams and Sharsa David, both age 47.

David was the deputy general secretary of the Banking, Insurance and General Workers' Union, in Barataria.

Williams was found with a gunshot wound to the head on a couch in the living room while David was found in the corridor between the kitchen and the living room with two gunshot wounds.

Williams was the same officer who shot himself in the head when his dog jumped on him on December 2, 2020, at his home.

According to a relative of David, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, David’s 19-year-old daughter heard the first shots and her mother cry out. She went downstairs to investigate and found her mother’s body on the floor and then witnessed Williams kill himself.

Describing David as sexy, loving, vibrant and bubbly, the relative said her family was unaware that the couple, who had been together for five years, was having any issues.

“What’s hurting is that she never talked to anyone, even her sister, so nobody knew what she was going through.”

She begged women in domestic violence situations to just walk away and not to be concerned about what people would say. To the men, she said, “There are so many women outside there. Just turn your back and walk away.”

Janelle Yarde-Blackman, William’s ex-wife and the mother of William’s only child, a 20-year-old man, said she was married to him between 2000-2005 and she did not wait to become a victim.

“I will say to women (in abusive relationships) don’t wait. I had one threat and I left. I didn’t wait for the lash or physical abuse. You cannot be in your bed and they tell you if you go out with anybody else I am going to kill you and you hope it gets right. It doesn’t get right. It don’t ever get right.

“This here is not going to be the last time such a situation will happen in this country because people like to think it won’t happen to them. But don’t wait. Don’t take that chance. And I want to say too, that if women are coming to family members and letting them know what is happening, I would advise them not to take sides.

“This is not a situation to say, ‘no he will never do that,’ or ‘he didn’t mean it.’ No. Don’t take sides. If you want to help, the best way to do so would be to take them to counselling or get them professional support. Picking sides and talking people business in public simply just doesn’t help.”

Although they were divorced, Yarde-Blackman said Williams was a very proud and supportive father who provided for his son.

She said she spoke to Williams on Friday night when he dropped his son home after spending time together.

“He was very pleasant and was normal. I asked (my son) today if he said anything or was distraught about anything. He said no his father was normal and he was fine."

In a press release on Saturday, the TT Coast Guard extended its condolences to the family and friends of those involved in “this regrettable situation.” It said the TT Police Service was investigating “this unfortunate occurrence” and would support the investigation.

This incident was the third murder-suicide or attempted murder-suicide for the year.

In February, Vashti Suraj-Sookram, 30, was attacked by her husband David Sookram, 38, with a cutlass during an argument at their Barrackpore home. Sookram then drank poison before he collapsed and died at the back of the house. Suraj-Sookram was seriously injured but survived.

In April, primary school teacher Amar Deobarran chopped his wife Omatie to death at their Barrackpore home before drinking poison and dying hours later at hospital.

In addition, there were three other killings on Good Friday into Saturday including a double murder in Azeez Lane, Kelly Village, Caroni and a watchman who was murdered at his job site in San Fernando.

Between Thursday and Friday, there were four murders – three in Arima and a 35-year-old soldier Junior Chase in San Fernando.