'Bebe' murdered gangland-style, J-FLAG wants speedy investigation
Published:Tuesday | May 27, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Adrian Frater, News Editor
WESTERN BUREAU:
Friends and associates have reacted with shock to Sunday night's gangland-style killing of Montego Bay-based political activist Kenrick 'Bebe' Stephenson.
Montego Bay's deputy mayor, Councillor Michael Troupe, who has known Stephenson since he was a child and had subsequently worked closely with him on the political campaign trail for the ruling People's National Party (PNP), described him as a friend.
"People might say a lot of things about him, but he was a loyal and dependable person," said Troupe, who is councillor for the Granville division, where Stephenson grew up. "He will be sadly missed."
Stephenson, known for his openly gay lifestyle, was recently elected vice-chairman of the PNP's Western Central St James constituency.
Yesterday, the PNP said it was saddened by news of his death.
According to police reports, shortly after 8 p.m. Sunday, gunshots rang out at the entrance to Stephenson's Coral Garden's home. He was subsequently found with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.
"We got the call shortly after 8 p.m., and when investigators went there, they saw his lifeless body in a pool of blood at his gate," said Senior Superintendent Egbert Parkinson, the commanding officer for St James.
When The Gleaner arrived at Stephenson's home shortly after 9 p.m., there was a large crowd outside the crime scene tape, comprising several political figures as well as popular gay men and lesbians.
SENSELESS AND BRUTAL
Many openly lashed out against the killing, describing it as senseless and brutal.
While not having an official statement, the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG) expressed condolence to Stephenson's family and urged the police to seek out and apprehend the perpetrators.
"We are not a membership organisation, so we can't say he was a member ... but we knew of him," J-FLAG said. "We would like to express our condolence to his family and we are urging the police to conduct a speedy investigation so that the perpetrator can be brought to justice."
The colourful Stephenson, who was quite prominent on the social circuit in western Jamaica, has had several run-ins with law over the years.
Accusations against him have ranged from illegal abstraction of electricity to lottery scamming.
Following his May 2012 arrest by the Anti-Lottery Scam Task Force, Superintendent Leon Clunie described him as a major player in the scam.
"Bebe is one of the founders of the illegal lottery scam," said Clunie, the head of task force at the time. "He has been living a luxurious lifestyle, yet he has never, from our understanding, been employed in any of the services in Jamaica."