The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE grim discovery of a dead man in the street with lacerations on his wrist and forehead disturbed the tranquillity of Crooked Island on Saturday morning, rocking an island of just 305 residents.

Justin Williams, 42, visited the island to spend time with his parents before travelling to New Providence for his wife’s upcoming funeral.

Instead, a woman leaving Fish Fry found his gashed body in the road.

Authorities have not ruled out suicide and have classified his death as suspicious, a decision his family finds inadequate.

 “Scrapes was on his body and his wrists, and he was in a pool of blood,” said Paula Williams, Justin’s mother, in an emotional interview yesterday. “That was a homicide. I want justice for my son.”  

 Justin, who relatives described as kindhearted and family-oriented, lived on Long Cay as a fisherman. 

 His body was found near his parents’ home in Landrail Point.

 “He was going to catch the mailboat to go to his wife’s funeral in Nassau to see her face for the last time,” Mrs Williams said. “He just came to hail his parents before he go and he was going back to Long Cay to catch the mailboat.” 

 Justin’s death was a double blow to the Williams family, who are still reeling from his grandmother’s death. 

 Crooked Island only has 147 men and 158 women, according to the 2022 Census. The man’s death has therefore stunned a community where such incidents are rare.

 “That was shocking to all of us,” said one resident who did not want to disclose her name. “That is something else cause things like that never happen. Even rowing and fighting and carrying on like that, not too much of that happen throughout the years.” 

 Mrs Williams said: “My last daughter, she come and give us the news. She just was saying ‘mummy, mummy your son died. I keep crying. Oh boy, it’s very hard.”  

 Her husband, Timothy Williams, claimed his son was robbed. Insisting Justin had no enemies, Mr Williams wants to know what happened in the hours leading to his death.

 “(Police) are not doing their job. The thing what really bother me is the woman say she drop him home and he never been here and knock on the door where he is come to sleep,” he said. 

 “They rob him all of his money. It’s terrible. (They) left him in the road like a dog, bleeding and he was announced dead. They chop him; all of his hands, but I need to know who do that to him.” 

 The man’s brother, Jonathan, added: “My brother was a giant of a man; (a) very loving and sweet person. He was always there for his mother, father, sister and brother. He always lending a helping hand … We just want whoever did it to come forward. That’s all we’re asking.” 

 Asked about the classification of the death, Police Inspector Mckell Pinder told The Tribune they are treating it as suspicious until more details emerge.

 “Even though he was found with those lacerations, according to the information that we received so far, there weren’t any witnesses. Police were just called after the fact,” she said.

 “That calls for officers going over there from here (New Providence) from the homicide section to properly do their investigations. It also calls for the body to be taken away from the island, brought here to the capital and autopsy conducted for them to determine that it is indeed a homicide.”

“Because he could have lacerations and those lacerations could be a result of him cutting (himself) because his wrist was cut. He also had a gash to the head so it could be a lot of things.”