Murder suspect on bail shot dead
Published:Monday | February 22, 2021 | 5:13 PM
The St Ann police say they are closing in on a suspect who shot and killed a man in Philadelphia district on Saturday.
The police revealed that the deceased was a suspect in the murder of a Chinese businessman in the parish over three years ago.
Leabert Piper, a vendor, was shot and killed on Saturday sometime after 6 p.m. in his community.
Reports are that residents heard explosions coming from a section of the community and summoned the police who, upon arrival, found Piper lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the upper body.
He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Piper, along with four other suspects, was charged with murder following the shooting death of a Chinese businessman in Brown’s Town in February 2018.
He was out on bail at the time of his death.
Piper’s death brings to nine the number of murders committed in St Ann since the start of the year. Last year at this time, there were 10 murders.
On Monday, Supt Dwight Powell who is in charge of the St Ann police division, told The Gleaner that a prime suspect in Piper’s murder is under the microscope.
“There is a prime suspect and when we find him, we will be able to solve it (the case),” Powell said.
He said information about the suspect will soon be placed in the public domain to garner assistance from the public.
Meanwhile, the case involving the other four suspects charged with the murder of the Chinese businessman, is before the St Ann Circuit Court.
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