Photo: Internet Source

The police are yet to issue an official statement on the killing, but they have launched a homicide investigation into the death of Matthew Da Souza, 13 after his body was found on the beach naked from the waist down with apparent injuries to the head.

Da Souza had a history of begging on the streets of Kingstown and the half naked body naked prompted speculation that he might have been sexually assaulted and killed.

But media reports quoting sources said that at least two boys and a girl, aged 11, all with a history of running away from home, had said that they were present when Da Souza suffered what might have been the fatal blow on Sunday.

One of the male children is alleged to have taken something and struck Da Souza in the head while they were in the water. He was taken out and dragged onto the sand where he died.

Da Souza’s death is the fourth homicide in St. Vincent since Friday, bringing the total to 34 this year.

Meanwhile, police said that a suspect is helping with their investigation into the stabbing death of Elijah Crease, a 34-year-old labourer, who died on Monday at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, in Kingstown.

Last Sunday, police who responded to a report of a fatal shooting in Petit Bordel found the body of Othnell Lavia, 37, a farmer of Petit Bordel, with multiple gunshot wounds. His death was the second killing in the North Leeward town last weekend.

It followed that of last Friday, of a 29-year-old labourer, Stanron Stapleton.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Stapleton was approached by an unknown assailant.