Children witness horror of mother’s death

A nine-year-old boy, who witnessed his mother’s death at the hands of his father, says he does not want to see his father again and wishes that “he rotten in jail.”{{more}}

Last Saturday, Jaheem Humphrey and his brothers, five-year-old Rommel Humphrey and 11-month-old Romain Humphrey, had the horror of seeing their mother, Amy-Ann Tittle, die before their eyes, after she received a chop to the back of her neck.

Police have arrested Insan Humphrey, the children’s father, in connection with the crime.

The incident took place sometime around 7:30 a.m. in the small village of Chapmans, on the windward side of the island.

According to one resident, who operates a business close to where the incident took place, Humphrey, a sailor, and Tittle, unemployed, were engaged in a domestic dispute at the time of the incident.

The two had been in a relationship for over 10 years.

“Them two, hmmm, they always use to argue, but it was never like that before he went sailing, though.

“Anyway, every time he comes back from sailing, the two of them always use to be arguing. This time it looks like it go too far eh, but he wicked to have done what he did,” the individual said.

Humphrey, Tittle and their three sons lived in a two-bedroom concrete house about five minutes away from the main road.

Reports say that after receiving the chop wound several metres from her home, Tittle fell and died on the dirt track that leads from her home to the main road.

Gracel Durant, Tittle’s mother, told SEARCHLIGHT that she is still puzzled as to why Humphrey would want to kill her daughter.

Durant explained that she was not aware of the nature of any dispute between the two.

She revealed that Humphrey had returned from sailing in July and “From the time he came back, it was problems, problems, problems…

“I don’t understand. They say he asked her to leave, so I don’t know…

“I just can’t tell, because she never, ever told me anything. I heard it from other people that she was going through some things, but I don’t know what caused it,” Durant said.

As Durant related her last memories of her deceased daughter, her 11-month-old grandson Romain cried inconsolably for his mother.

Durant said she was doing chores around the house, when she received a phone call from a woman asking that she go over to her daughter’s residence.

The sobbing mother said she replied that she was busy with house chores.

“She told me I must try and come over.

“I asked her what happen, and she said when I come I will see. She said it looked as though something had happened down by Amy-Ann, and then my daughter, Keneesh Durant, I hear when she bawl out and say, ‘look Amy-Ann drop down over dey’.”

Durant has a clear view of her deceased daughter’s house from where she lives on the other side of the village.

“We can stay in our yard from here and call out to her over there…

“I went up by the road, looked over and I saw somebody in an orange top on the ground and they told me that it was Amy-Ann, because she had on the top earlier the morning.

“I called someone who lived over in the same area as Amy-Ann, and when the person answered, he said I must come, because ‘look Beatum kill yo daughter over ya…’

Durant said she was in such a shock that she stood in the same position for about seven minutes before being able to move.

“When I caught myself, I saw a car coming and I asked for a ride over and when I got there, I saw her lying in all the blood and I saw the little boy in pain, because he was bawling and beating on the table, bawling and saying ‘look how daddy kill mummy’ and he don’t want to see his father again.

“So, now I just have to take the kids and see what I can do to help them,” Durant said, as she tried to hold back the tears.

“I am very saddened by what happened and I am not comfortable to see my daughter lying down there in a pool of blood; it ain’t easy,” she added.

The mother of the deceased said she only heard on the street that the two were scheduled to be in court yesterday (August 26), but she was unaware of the reason.

“I don’t know; I don’t know…,” woman continued, as tears kept flowing.

“She never told me anything.”

Durant revealed that the only time that her daughter related any issues concerning her relationship was on Friday, July 5.

“She was by me here for the whole day. Me and she talked and she told me since February, she get a money from the guy for the children, and she didn’t get anything else from him after.

“She (Amy-Ann) also has an older son and when the guy gone sailing, he (the son) can go there to stay with his mother and brothers, but when he (Humphrey) comes back, the older son has to leave,” Durant further disclosed.

Amy-Ann’s first child is 14-year-old Jamal Lateen, a third form student of the North Union Secondary School.

Durant said her last conversation with Amy-Ann was on August 19 by phone.

“She always say, ‘Mummy, I love you,’ every time we finished speaking.”

Tittle’s death brings to 20, the number of homicides, so far, for the year.