St James police seek public help as murders of women climb

St. James has recorded the island’s highest murder rate so far this year, and the parish’s top police officer is asking residents to report domestic and other personal disputes before they turn fatal.

Senior Superintendent Aaron Samuels, commanding officer for the St. James Police Division, said the Jamaica Constabulary Force is alarmed by a recent rise in killings of women linked to relationship and interpersonal conflict. Since late April into early May, Montego Bay and surrounding communities have seen several such deaths at a pace officers describe as deeply troubling.

“So many of our incidents of late have involved women,” Samuels said. “One that deserves close attention is the case of Melissa Samlall, an American national who was married to Jamaican national Linton Watson, whom police have named as a person of interest in her death. We are very saddened that many of these incidents are emanating from interpersonal situations.”

Samuels said most homicides in the division since the start of the year grew out of personal disputes. Twelve murders in that period have been tied to interpersonal incidents, including cases that may involve domestic violence or one-on-one arguments.

“When you have or hear about these interpersonal situations—maybe domestic violence, maybe disputes between individuals—let us know so we can intervene and try to avoid any of these incidents evolving into murder,” he said.

He reported progress on several investigations. In a Catherine Hall case, a suspect is in custody and has been charged with the murder of a young woman. Detectives are also advancing the Samlall probe and are actively seeking Linton Watson as a person of interest. Police believe he may be in the Montego Bay to St. Ann area and are appealing for public assistance to locate him quickly.

Figures from the force indicate that four women have been killed in brutal circumstances in the division, with three of those deaths reportedly linked to intimate partner violence. St. James remains the parish with the highest murder rate nationally so far this year.