Contractor sought in domestic stabbing probe found hanging

The St Mary police are investigating the suspected suicide of a contractor who was being sought in connection with a stabbing incident involving the mother of his children.

Dead is Oneero Roberts, otherwise called ‘Anif’, a 43-year-old contractor of Comsee district in Highgate, St Mary.

According to the police, Roberts’ body was discovered hanging about 11 a.m. on Wednesday in White Hall district, Highgate. 

Roberts’ death came days after an alleged attack on his spouse some time last Friday night into Saturday morning. The woman remains hospitalised with serious injuries.

Police sources confirmed that he was being sought in relation to a case of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm stemming from the incident.

Residents familiar with the situation told The Gleaner that the stabbing was linked to a domestic matter between the couple that had put a strain on their relationship and a source of tension within the community in recent months.

The woman had reportedly moved out of the home she shared with Roberts and had been staying with her mother prior to the incident. She was attacked shortly after exiting a motor vehicle during the early hours of Saturday morning.

Her mother, who reportedly intervened, was also injured. However, her injuries were said to be less severe.

Following the attack, Roberts reportedly fled the community, triggering a search by relatives and the police.

A relative of Roberts’, who spoke with The Gleaner on condition of anonymity, said his family was left stunned by the latest development.

“The only thing I was aware of was the stabbing [of] his babymother,” the relative said, adding that she was not aware of serious ongoing disputes between the couple before the incident.

The relative described Roberts as someone who was generally supportive and encouraging towards those around him.

“He’s the type of person that’s constant and encouraging. He will always have a good word about life,” she said.

She said he had lived with family members for years and was regarded as someone who maintained close ties with relatives and friends in the community.

Residents in the area have also been struggling to process the chain of events.

“When we go in a di bush, we shock when we see him … . Is right where she live him walk across the bush and go hang himself,” a resident told The Gleaner.

Police investigations into both the suspected suicide and the stabbing incident remain ongoing.

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Get help

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call the Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Helpline: 888-NEW-LIFE (888-639-5433) or contact the U-Report Jamaica Helpline by sending message saying SUPPORT to 876-838-4897 on WhatsApp.