Woman suspects her uncle was murdered at his Belmont home

A Belmont woman is taking the police to task for what she considers to be the dragging of their feet in the investigation of what may be the murder of her uncle.{{more}}

Gemma Alexander told SEARCHLIGHT on Friday, January 14, that Samuel “Big Man” King, a 69-year-old farmer, was found dead at his Belmont home on Monday, November 29, 2010, three days after he was last seen alive.

She said he was discovered at about 10:30 a.m. that day by one of her cousins, who had visited her uncle’s yard to assist an employee of the Vector Control Unit to turn over two barrels filled with water.

Alexander related that King’s bedroom window was open and when her cousin looked in, the deceased’s feet were seen, but his body was pushed under the bed.

She said the police were immediately called to the scene.

Alexander recalled that King’s face was swollen and he had two massive cuts to both sides of his head. She said his neck was also swollen.

A postmortem showed that King died of head injury and subdural hemorrhage.

“He was actually murdered inside of the house, because the front door was still locked and the person robbed him and beat him. He was struggling with them because his foot kick out a part of the partition and a piece of stick was still in his flesh when they pulled him out,” said Alexander.

She is highly upset with the police because she has not heard anything about the investigations since November 29.

“I went to Calliaqua Police Station two times and they said don’t allow anybody to go to the house, because they have to come and investigate. It is now January 14 and nobody have returned to investigate.

“I just want to know if this is going to go like the wind or if any other investigation is going to take place,” said an irate Alexander.

Alexander said when King was not seen the Friday before he was discovered, she did not take his absence as a matter of concern, as when he works at Belair and Gomea, he would sometimes spend a few days with his friends, but would always return to his home on weekends.

She said when her uncle did not visit her home to wish her happy birthday on Sunday, November 30, she became a bit concerned, but was encouraged by her mother not to worry because his trips away from home were normal. She said friends last saw King on Thursday, November 25.

Alexander stressed that she believes that her uncle’s death is a homicide, because besides his wounds, his wallet, which he always had on him was missing, as well his bucket of groceries.

“I am very angry and I am hurt and I want justice for my uncle, because he was not a cat, he was not a dog, he was a human being,” said Alexander.

“I want also to tell the person or persons who went into my uncle house and murder him, I just want them to know that one day God will give me the courage to forgive them. But God said vengeance is his and he will repay. If they think that they get away on earth they have not,” said Alexander, noting that the pain her uncle felt will come back to them.

Although she is upset with the police, she has commended ASP Willisford Caesar, Head of the Criminal Investigation Department, for assisting in her getting her uncle’s body for burial.

Last Friday, when SEARCHLIGHT contacted Caesar on the matter, he said the circumstances why King’s body was found under the bed are questionable.

Caesar noted that based on discussions with the pathologist, certain things must be checked out before King’s death could be classified a murder. (HN)