The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

POLICE have launched an official investigation into the death of a 64-year-old man who relatives believe was beaten and robbed a week ago.

According to the RBPF, a man – later identified by his family as John Henry Frazier – was brought in to the Princess Margaret Hospital on August 24 suffering from injuries to the body.

Police said the man died last Wednesday, two days later, and that an autopsy will be carried out to determine the cause of death.

A relative told The Tribune that Mr Frazier, whose stage name was John Chandler, was assaulted while attempting to repair a flat tyre on his vehicle in the Collins Avenue and Gibbs Corner area.

The relative said the attack happened around 4pm last Tuesday, although police have said Mr Frazier arrived at the hospital a day earlier, last week Monday.

A relative of the deceased told The Tribune that on his way to the PMH, he managed to contact his mother, informing her of what had happened to him. Later hospital officials told his mother that he would require an emergency procedure after medical tests showed severe bleeding in his skull, The Tribune was told.

The relative said while in surgery, Mr Frazier’s heart failed and he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The victim’s younger sister, Jackie Frazier, when contacted for comment, claimed the family was forced to piece together small facts gathered through phone calls that relatives had with Mr Frazier hours before his death.

“We are struggling to understand this,” she said during a recent interview. “All we know at this time is that he was struck in the head … drove himself to the hospital and that he had to have surgery.”

Police have not released further details on their investigation, which is continuing.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.