Businessman found dead

A sombre mood filled the atmosphere at Club CasaBlanca, Mount Pleasant, yesterday morning, as relatives, friends, and passers-by tried to come to grips with the suspected murder of businessman Grafton Hutchinson.{{more}}

Tyrone ‘Steggy’ Hutchinson, Grafton’s younger brother, who resides just a block away from Club CasaBlanca, said he was alerted by Grafton’s customers, yesterday morning, to check on him, because it appeared that something suspicious had taken place.

The side door to Club CasaBlanca, where the 73-year-old Grafton also resides, was open, but damaged and there was no response to the several calls made to him.

Tyrone said he contacted the police and was told to try and enter the building. After removing the lock at the front entrance, he found his brother’s lifeless, nude, body, facedown with a trickle of blood at the side of his mouth.

Besides the damaged door at the side, Tyrone said the pool table was broken into, things thrown about, and a window was left open on the ground floor of the two storey building.

“I feel sad about this, because my brother and all of us get along very well. I am really feeling very sad to know what took place with him,” said Tyrone.

Grafton was described by Tyrone as a loving person who always looked out for others.

Grafton, who had spent most of his years living with his wife and two daughters in England, returned to St.Vincent and the Grenadines almost three years ago to establish his business.

Just after he officially opened Club CasaBlanca a few months ago, he was robbed one night after he responded to a call from someone to sell a bag of bread and a tin of beef.

Tyrone said as soon as Grafton opened the door that night, he was grabbed at the throat by two masked men. The assailants ran away after a minibus stopped near to the business.

Since then, other attempts had been made to break into the business, ultimately resulting in last Sunday evening’s heinous murder.