Murray’s Village family in state of shock
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January 14, 2011

Murray’s Village family in state of shock

A Murray’s Village man was mauled to death by four guard dogs at the premises of Joyette’s Auto Collision Works early Wednesday morning in that same community.{{more}}

Christel Edwards, a maintenance worker at the garage, discovered 41-year-old Sylvester Lee’s lifeless body at the back of the building at about 8:30 a.m. shortly after he arrived at work.

He said he immediately reported the matter to Dennis Joyette, owner of the property.

“The body was in a terrible state, you know; bite up bad, nose bite off and these things, face bite off. I could not recognize him,” said Edwards, adding that the body was turned face down, but it is clear that the dogs left him in a state beyond recognition.

When asked about the type of clothing Lee was wearing, Edwards said: “The dog them bite him out ah dat. Them rip off all him clothes, so he was naked.”

Edwards said he felt no remorse over Lee’s demise because it has been quite a while that people have been stealing from the garage and they are unable to find a culprit.

“He had no calling in the yard. He jump over the fence and come in. You cannot enter unless you have a key because the whole place lock down. So he jump over and come in because you can see wey par he do that,” said Edwards.

“Like far as me see, when he come in like he ain’t even geh chance to do nutten because them still find him sack in ah him packet and thing,” said Edwards, who disclosed that there are a breadfruit tree and a mango tree on the property.

Edwards added it could have been the first time that Lee had entered the property.

“But the dog them listen and deal wid him,” said Edwards, noting that the dogs are of mixed breed, with lines of the pitbull and akita. The police were called to the scene and Lee’s body was removed to the Kingstown Mortuary as they concluded that part of their investigations.

Simone Laborde, Lee’s 15-year-old daughter, said she last saw her father on Tuesday night. She said he is also the father of a 17-year-old son.

She said that she was thrown into a state of shock when a cousin told her of her father’s death.

Laborde said amidst the criticism that people have levelled at her father, he was a good man to her.

The only time that a smile came to her face during the interview was when she described him as a jolly person.