Relative of murdered St James man urges parents – Don't defend, hide criminal children

THE common-law wife of murder victim Isiah Murphy is urging parents not to hide or defend the behaviour of children who they know are involved in criminal activities.

Police said Murphy, 25, was gunned down outside his Dundonald Hill, St James home at around 8.10 pm on Sunday. Relatives in the house heard the gunshots and on checking, saw Murphy bleeding on the steps.

He was taken to the St James Infirmary and transferred to the Port of Spain General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

As of Monday morning, the murder toll for 2022 was 583 compared to 438 for the same period last year.

Speaking with Newsday at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on Monday, Murphy's common-law wife Natalie Mitchell said the rising murder toll was a result of parents who did not stand up to the criminal behaviour of their children.

She admitted while children have minds of their own, parents still have a responsibility to correct wayward behaviour. And failing this, they have a duty to bring in the authorities.

Referring to a recent incident where she heard an elderly woman boasting about her grandchildren's guns, Mitchell said families should not enable their loved ones' criminal tendencies and should be prepared to take action.

"There is a lady up by me who I heard saying something that they (her grandchildren) have AR-15 and she is in her sixties and I looked at her and thought to myself: 'This is what you're saying?'

"They are the ones causing crime, you're sixty-something years old and you're boasting that your grandchildren are gunmen? I couldn't believe she was saying that."

She said he worked as a steel worker but was unemployed recently and supported himself by selling soft drinks and bottled water.

Up to press time no arrest was made and officers from the Homicide Bureau of Investigations (Region I) are continuing enquiries.