St. Mary mother says 15-year term too light; Granville police shooting probed; transport fare talks set for Monday

A mother in St. Mary has told the court and media that a 15-year prison term for the man who killed her three-year-old son is far too short, warning that he may reoffend when he is released.

Philippo Walker wept last Friday as Devon Williams was sentenced in the St. Ann Circuit Court for the attack on May 29, 2024, in Port Maria. Williams had used an iron pipe and a knife while Walker was walking home from school with Asher Campbell, then three, and his sisters. Asher died; his nine-year-old sister, their mother, and five other people were injured.

"Not enough," Walker told reporters. "When he's out, you see how big and strong he is. I can feel it when he gets out. He's going to come back and kill again."

Williams, who was 33 at the time of the attack, had recently returned to Jamaica from the United States. Court records show his father told the St. Mary Parish Court that Williams had a mental health condition since 2016 and was on medication. His mother had called to say he had left his medication abroad; she sent a supply, but it had not reached Jamaica before the attack. Williams first sought to represent himself, but Judge Nicole Kellier directed that he have counsel because of his mental state. Attorney Dean Marsh represented him. Williams pleaded guilty; a psychiatrist found him mentally unstable, and his sentence was cut from 20 years to 15.

Walker said the community should have been warned about his condition. She spoke of ongoing grief over Asher, the youngest of her six children, and of family trauma, including Asher's father stopping haircuts after the killing. "My baby was innocent. He deserved to grow," she said, describing Williams's face during the attack as emotionless and arguing he should remain in prison until he is too old and weak to harm anyone.

Separately, police say a woman was shot and killed in Granville, St. James, on Sunday during an encounter with a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. The high command said it is deeply concerned and has referred the matter to the Independent Commission of Investigations and the Inspectorate of Professional Standards Oversight Bureau. Both bodies have opened full inquiries, aided by preliminary information and CCTV.

The force said Granville resident Latoya Bulgin, also known as BJU, died in the confrontation. Footage from the area shows a black Toyota Voxy that Bulgin was driving toward what residents described as a protest in downtown Montego Bay linked to the death of 17-year-old TJ Edwards the previous Sunday, allegedly involving security forces. The vehicle was stopped in Granville Square; occupants were seen leaving before police engaged them. Seconds later the Voxy moved onto the roadway; an explosion was heard after an officer pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the vehicle. Officers removed the injured woman and took her to hospital in a JCF vehicle. Some residents have accused police of murder.

Member of Parliament for St. James West Central Marlene Malahu Fort visited the scene and urged residents to avoid unlawful retaliation. "This is not right and I know that the community is angry, grieving and searching for answers," she said, noting that camera footage is aiding a swift investigation. "I want to ask you to stay on the right side of the law. I don't want any response in the community to result in a suppression of anything." She pledged to press for a full inquiry and for the facts to emerge.

On the economy and transport front, the Ministry of Transport said it has called a meeting for Monday, May 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the Transporter Centre in Halfway Tree, St. Andrew, after operators signalled unrest over long-standing demands for a fair fare increase, sharpened by higher global fuel prices linked to geopolitical tensions. Representatives of the Transport Authority and operator groups are expected to attend. Finance and Public Service Minister Fayval Williams and Transport Minister Daryl Vaz will address the session.

In a release late Sunday, the ministry said the Government is mindful of passengers facing cost-of-living pressure and of operators awaiting a fair adjustment while absorbing fuel costs. Vaz said discussions with operator groups have continued over several years and appealed for calm while a solution is sought that limits national disruption yet responds to operators' concerns.