The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

POLICE discovered a man’s partially decomposed body in a home on Horseshoe Drive yesterday morning in what they have classified as suspicious death.

Speaking to reporters on the scene, Assistant Superintendent of Police Audley Peters said shortly before 11am, police received reports from concerned neighbours of an odour emanating from a house in the area.

Responding officers arrived at the scene and confirmed the reports.

“The officers arrived on scene and were not able to access the house immediately,” ASP Peters said. “They confirmed this odour and so they had reason to breach the door and they went into the house and a southeastern room where they found a body of a male partially decomposed.”

ASP Peters said “based on the rate of decomposition,” it appeared the man’s body was decomposing for more than 72 hours.

He said autopsy results will determine the exact cause of death, but noted that officers have labelled it “as somewhat suspicious”.

“The body was decomposed and in instances like these, you’re not able to say the reason for the death so you would have to wait for an autopsy report to assist you in determining the cause of death because this victim had not been seen for some time by family members,” he told reporters when asked if any injuries were found on the body.

While police did not release the deceased’s identity, he was identified by relatives as 65-year-old Hillary Gibson.

The Tribune understands that Gibson was last seen by family members last week.

The victim’s cousin, Stephen Carroll, told reporters that Gibson had struggled with heart issues since he was a child.

However, he said despite his health challenges, the 65-year-old still lived his life. Mr Carroll also described him as a good man.

“I know him all my life. He’s my mummy’s sister’s son and when he was young, he was sick and he had a hole in his heart so he went to get the surgery and everything,” he said.

“But he never was in good health and yeah, he used to help and go to work and eat and do everything like all of us could do, but he still wasn’t, like, firm.”

Last month, police removed a man’s partially decomposed body from the New Providence Landfill in what they also said appeared to be a suspicious death.

According to ASP Peters, a landfill employee found the body in a well when he went to examine the hole which is used by the landfill to help battle fires when they need water.

“It’s a possibility that someone might have put the body there,” the press liaison officer said at the time, adding that there were visible signs of abrasions on the man’s body.

However, he said the injuries “do not tell us exactly what happened”.

The victim in that particular incident was believed to be in his late 30s or early 40s. Police said an autopsy would be needed in that case as well to determine the cause of death.