Police Link Romele Johnson to St Elizabeth Auto Mart Double Death Investigation

SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — Investigators in St Elizabeth say Romele Johnson, one of the two men discovered dead Sunday at a Longwood auto mart near Santa Cruz, had been a major player in a profitable vehicle-theft operation involving several parishes and the disposal of stolen motor vehicles and parts.

The second deceased man has been identified as Melvin Blythe, a 64-year-old businessman who operated the car mart. Police spent several hours examining the property as they worked to establish how Blythe and Johnson, 34, came to be killed. Johnson, who lived in Santa Cruz, was also known as Cutty and Cow Man.

Detectives believe the two men may have clashed sometime after 3:00 am Sunday. That theory is partly based on reports from residents who said they heard loud explosions around that hour.

According to police, Blythe, who was licensed to carry a firearm, had left his home for the business place from Saturday night. Investigators said he had recently been making that a practice as he tried to guard the premises against people stealing from the car mart.

Police suspect Johnson entered the compound intending to strip vehicles for parts. While processing the location, detectives recovered a bag containing tools and also observed that a headlight had been removed from one of the vehicles on the property.

They also noted that the grille leading to a building at the business place was open, though there was no indication that anyone had forced entry into that structure. Investigators theorise that Blythe came out of the building and challenged Johnson, leading to a confrontation in which both men were shot.

Police said Blythe’s wife became worried after repeated calls to his phone were not answered. She later went to the auto mart on Sunday evening and found his body.

After police were alerted sometime after 5:00 pm, detectives traced blood across a wall about 10 feet high. Johnson’s body was found on the other side, along with the businessman’s firearm. Both bodies were taken to a morgue, with post-mortem and ballistic examinations pending.

A police source said Johnson had been on bail after being charged in connection with a December 13, 2024 matter in Westmoreland, where police allegedly found him and two associates in possession of a stolen vehicle.

Police said Johnson was again linked to a motor vehicle theft by September 13, 2025, when a Toyota Voxy was stolen in Portsea, near Junction in St Elizabeth. In that case, one of his alleged accomplices, Mark Allen Snr, otherwise called German, was shot dead by police during what investigators described as a gun battle and high-speed chase between Malvern and Southampton in St Elizabeth.

Johnson was said to have escaped police during that incident.

Investigators also said Johnson had previously served prison time for shop breaking and larceny in Clarendon. He admitted guilt in that matter, received a six-month hard-labour sentence at the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre, and was released in 2019.