The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

TWO MEN out on bail, one for murder and the other for armed robbery, were shot in the head and killed in two separate incidents in the capital, less than two hours apart.

The latest murder happened around 1am Thursday on Odle Corner off East Street – about 100 feet from where another man, who was recently released from prison, was fatally shot on Tuesday. Police said the latest victim was outfitted with an ankle bracelet. It is not known if this murder was a retaliation for the earlier killing on Odle Corner.

According to head of the Central Detective Unit Superintendent Paul Rolle, police received reports that gunshots were heard in the Odle Corner area around 12am, however the victim’s body was not found until several hours later.

“Around 6am this morning, a lady came outside to dispose of some garbage when she observed what appeared to be the body of a male. She called the police and ambulance. Both officers and EMS personnel responded to the scene where we discovered a black male with a gunshot wound to the head,” he said.

“Around midnight persons reported hearing gunshots between Odle Corner and Gibbs Corner, we believe that would have been around the time the incident happened. This murder is only about 100 feet from where another homicide took place a few days ago. We are not certain if it was retaliation because police are still in the early stages of their investigations. We believe that this individual is from Freeport and was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet.”

Police have not officially identified the victim but The Tribune understands he is 27-year-old Renaldo Bonaby.

Bonaby, along with Renaldo Armbrister and Kevin Harvey were found guilty in 2010 of the 2006 kidnapping and brutal murder of Phillip Gaitor Jr.

According to court documents, the men lured Philip to an isolated spot near Barbary Beach and beat him with baseball bats before burning him alive in the back seat of his own car.

Bonaby was sentenced to death after the judge said he “showed no remorse” and was the “mastermind” in the plot to extort $100,000 from the victim’s father Phillip Gaitor Sr.

However his sentence was overturned in the Court of Appeal and he along with Armbrister were ordered a new trial in 2011. He was released on bail.

The Tribune understands his new trial was slated to begin next week.

About two hours before Bonaby was killed, police were on the scene of another murder, this one in the Rupert Dean Lane area.

According to reports, the victim was sitting in a Honda CRV through Pratts Lane when he was approached by a man with a handgun.

The suspect shot the victim twice in the head as he attempted to escape. The victim was found lying next to the vehicle with keys in one hand and cash in the other.

Police have not identified the victim but The Tribune understands he is 21-year-old Shorn Lightfoot.

Lightfoot was released on bail last month for armed robbery.

There were four murders this week, however police said they do not believe any of them are connected.

Earlier this week Charles Miller, who was reportedly wearing an ankle bracelet, was killed in Grand Bahama.

In spite of these events, Supt Rolle said he believes the electronic monitoring system is “effective.”

Supt Rolle said: “Wearing a monitoring device has nothing to do with them being killed. We are able to track them. We believe the last victim stayed in this area, so as long as they are in their zone, it would not raise an alarm for us.

“For example if he was outside of that zone for a period of time they would notify us and they have done a pretty good job with reaching out to police in minutes.”

Anyone with information on any of these murders is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.