The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

TWO Bahamian men, being quizzed about 23 murders in New Providence, are thought to be “contract killers” who took orders for hits from a prison inmate.

Police are questioning two 22-year-olds in connection with 23 murders that occurred in the southeast and eastern New Providence, Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade said yesterday.

While police have remained tightlipped on the details of the case, The Tribune understands the men are suspected to be “contract killers” who were taking orders for hits from an inmate in Fox Hill Prison.

Commissioner Greenslade said the two men were initially arrested on Sunday in connection with the shooting death of Dario Knowles of Fox Hill, but investigations have now expanded to include 22 more persons.

Major was shot and killed around midnight last Friday by two men wearing black hooded jackets, as he arrived at his Kennedy Subdivision home.

The Commissioner said the men are expected to be arraigned before the end of the week with at least five of the murders.

“I am further pleased to advise,” he said, “that we are currently following significant leads in these 23 homicides and we are optimistic that going forward a major breakthrough will result in an unprecedented number of homicides being cleared up and suspects being arraigned before the courts in the offence of murder in the very near future.”

The commissioner would not reveal who the victims were, if they there connected, the names of the suspects or if they were working together. However, he said the public would be updated as soon as possible.

“As you can appreciate due to the sensitivity of ongoing inquiries and the fact that more persons, I repeat, more persons are expected to be taken into police custody, I am constrained not to say much more at this time,” he said.

“I am not able to reveal any more at this time in the best interests of the greater good and the public,” he added.

He said police would tell media representatives when the arraignments will take place.

The commissioner said 20 senior officers had been assigned to these files and those numbers were increasing every day.

Police initially said the men were being questioned in connection with the shooting deaths of Reservist Dennis Clarke, Deon Knowles, Neremy Noel, Neil Percentie, Oslworth Belle, Dario Knowles, Lionel McQueen and Montez Saunders.

Dion “Emperor” Knowles was shot and killed on July 27 at Faith Avenue and Sir Milo Butler Highway, near the Texaco gas station.

He was reportedly riding a motorcycle when a vehicle knocked him off and at least one gunman opened fire with a machine gun.

A year-and-a-half later – Novembe 27 – his son Dario Knowles was shot and killed on Lincoln Boulevard off Cordeaux Avenue. Police said he was found lying in the street, shortly after several gunshots were heard in the area.

Reservist Dennis Clarke was shot and killed outside a superwash on Prince Charles Drive on May 31. Police said two men got out of a vehicle and shot him. Two men have been charged with his murder.

In August, Neremy Noel, 33, was shot in the back and killed after he and another man were robbed of their cellphones and a laptop by two men armed with a handgun.

Neil Percentie, 35, a community leader in Union Village, was shot to death on September 8 in Fox Hill.

He died in front of the Fox Hill Police Station, where he was taken after being repeatedly shot while in the back seat of his cousin’s vehicle.

Bahamasair pilot, Lionel McQueen and his roommate Montez Saunders were shot and killed in their Kennedy Subdivision apartment in September.

Commissioner Greenslade thanked the “hard working” members of the Central Detective Unit, Uniform Operations and all of the support units of the Royal Bahamas Police Force for their “consistently good work” and their commitment to making the Bahamas a safer place to live, play, work and visit.