‘I can’t believe it’

The father of a 16-year-old boy in custody in relation to the stabbing death his stepfather, Conroy Morgan, at his home in Four Paths, Clarendon, on Monday said he was unaware of any major rift between his son and the victim.

The teen reportedly stabbed Morgan during a dispute.

Admitting that he was confused by the situation and reports that the two had a rocky relationship, Michael McKinley told The Gleaner yesterday that he last saw his son a few days ago when they both went to May Pen.

“The only problem him seh him have wid him stepfather is the radio. When him fi go to him bed fi go a school di odda day, the stepfather turn up him radio and him (teen) tell him seh fi turn it down and him don't want fi turn it down,” said the father.

McKinley said that the boy's mother did not seem to agree with the events as related by the teen.

He, however, said that, on numerous occasions, his son had expressed a desire to come and live with him.

“Tell you di truth, mi hardly work every day and is not every day mi gi him a money still,” said McKinley, who works at a factory in the parish.

He told The Gleaner that he was trying to use his meagre earnings to finish a room at his house for his son.

Robert Thompson, a cousin of the teen, said that, as far back as December, the boy had called him “one side”, informing him that there were “issues” where he has been living.

After quizzing him, the teen reportedly said that they surrounded his stepfather.

“He never go into details on the issues he was having with his stepfather,” he shared, adding that he then informed McKinley, asking how he intended to address the situation.

Thompson said that McKinley told him he was trying to finish the room to take the boy and had considered the possibility of also having the teen relocate to live with other relatives.

EXEMPLARY BEHAVIOUR

Thompson said he had heard news of the fatal stabbing incident, but only discovered on Tuesday night that it was his cousin who was accused of being the perpetrator.

“I can't believe it ... . This little chap is so humble. If you really see him, you can't believe it is somebody who would really take up a knife on his own and kill a man. ... I really can't come to it, because of the kind of young youth I really see him to be,” Thompson said.

McKinley is stunned as his son, who is a prefect at Foga Road High School, usually displays exemplary behaviour.

He added that he would always encourage him to get a skill and not be like himself, who is not well educated.

“Mi frighten fi hear seh him a prefect. Dat mean seh him really a gwaan good inna him schoolwork,” he said, pointing out that, until the stabbing incident, he had never heard about any complaints involving his son, who remains in custody.

Since the start of the year, there have been several stabbing incidents involving teens.

Yesterday, a 15-year-old Petersfield High schoolgirl was stabbed during a fight with another student at the school.

cecelia.livingston@gleanerjm.com