Georgetown farmer found dead at his home

A cousin and four friends of this country’s latest murder victim are all asking the same question, “Who would do something like this?”

Last Monday morning, Kelson ‘I-Lay’ Layne/McBar­nette, whom persons also knew as ‘Sallay’, was found stabbed to death in his meagre wall house at Georgetown. Reports are that the dreadlocked man, who would have celebrated his 61st birthday in September, had as many as 13 stab wounds and his throat was cut.

The killer or killers had no problem gaining access to Kelson’s home, as his home has no doors. He was killed in his bedroom.

The dead man’s cousin, Noel Layne, told SEARCHLIGHT that yesterday morning at about 8.15, he received what he considers “very sad news.”{{more}}

“Someone call me and tell me they found my cousin in his house with stab wounds…I don’t see the reason why somebody would want to kill him,” said Layne, who is entertaining the theory that Kelson was killed in the wee hours of Monday morning, as rain pelted the North Central Windward constituency where he lived.

“I would usually call him to find out if he alright,” the distraught and confused man said on Monday. “I have my lunch, I can’t even eat it; he was quiet, real, real quiet. When we heard he dead, everyone in the community saying no one in this community would do such a brutal act. He get 13 stab wounds, according to the police and he neck slash. What kind of man would do that? I still can’t even catch myself. I can’t really function.”

Layne revealed that both Kelson’s mother and father have passed away and he has no children that he (Layne) knows about.

Junior Cato, one of the deceased man’s friends said that he knew Kelson since they were boys.

“His life was quiet, very, very quiet; he goes nowhere, he sits on his wall all the time. He involved in nothing and when I heard about his death this morning, I was very shock the way he get destroy,” said Cato.

Sitting at a shop near to Kelson’s home and drinking alcohol with other villagers, Cato reminisced, “I never hear he and nobody get in nothing at all. We never know him as a man in argument. He love to talk politics; he would argue politics, but he not a violent guy. Everybody goes by him; he goes by nobody.”

Cato offered further, “We can’t have no suspect in Georgetown, because we never know him as a violent guy.”

Samuel Duncan, another friend of the dead man, described this country’s 15th murder victim as: “a nonviolent, very peaceful and free-handed man.” He said that he and Kelson grew up playing football and cricket together.

“This morning, when they discover this man die, I couldn’t go to look at him. I feel it deep in my heart; that murderer is supposed to be punished. It is something that hurt almost the whole community heart. He was very good,” said Duncan.

Devonish ‘Ali’ Carr said that Kelson was instrumental in helping one of her sons get into the British Army, as he supported him financially during his schooling here.

“I know him all my years, he was a very caring and giving guy. Many days when I couldn’t get money to send my children to school, I send them to him and he would give to them and make sure they get something to eat. He is loving. I have a son in the army and is he send him to school.”

Carr said that Kelson was not a person to argue with people and he was very friendly.

“When you go by him, anything you want, he would give it to you. He love his lady friends and things like that. He is not a violent person, he would get up in the morning and leave go to work in the mountains and then back home, that’s his thing. I am very sad and I am very heartbroken…I cannot cope with it,” said Carr fighting back tears.

One of Kelson’s closest friends, St Clair Cox, said that he knew the “Rastaman” since they were youths growing up in Georgetown.

“He love to argue politics and he love to argue for his rights, but he is a person he don’t want no noise with anybody. He don’t want to be aggressive with anybody and people would tell you he is a peaceful man, but if you molest him he would talk for his rights,” said Cox, who described his relationship with the dead man as more of a brotherhood than a friendship.

“I feel very sad. I feel like I lost a friend for the rest of my life. When my brother Gideon Cox disappeared at Soufriere in October 1983, I really feel that one, because he was my blood brother. Well, Mr Layne wasn’t my blood brother, but he was like a brother to me, so I really feel it deep down inside like I loss a brother and a friend,” stressed Cox.

He said when he last saw his friend, they spoke about a court case that Kelson was involved in, which would see him receiving compensation from another villager.

“He said that he win the case and the person had to pay some money to him,” said Cox.

Police are investigating Kelson’s murder and investigators are urging persons with any information to come forward.(LC)