Court hears alternate version of missionaries murder

Another version of the details around the 2016 murder of the two American missionaries in St Mary emerged yesterday during the trial, with reports that the murder accused had reportedly told police that he had no knowledge about how one of the men had met his demise.

The two missionaries, Randy Hentzel, 48 and Harold Nichols,53, were found dead in Wentworth district in St Mary between April 30 and May 1, 201.

Hentzel was found with his hands bound and a gunshot wound to the back of his head while Nichols was found some distance away with a gunshot wound to his chest and six chop wounds to his head.

Andre Thomas, a taxi operator from St Mary, is currently being tried for their murders in the Home Circuit Court.

Earlier in January, his cousin Dwight Henry pleaded guilty to two counts of murder under a plea deal and was sentenced to 28 years to life.

The investigating officer, a deputy superintendent of police who had recorded multiple statements from Thomas, testified yesterday that the defendant told him that Henry visited him at his home and told him he was the one who “slap out” the two whitemen.

The officer, who the court heard was also a part of a police team that Thomas had reportedly guided to the murder scene, testified that Thomas, while on the journey, showed them where he and his cousin had reportedly hidden when they heard the two missionaries riding through the bushes.

Thomas reportedly told the police that, while they were hiding behind a tree, Henry stepped out and hit one of the victims off the bike with a gun, but he got up, ran and was gunned down by Henry. The trial also heard that Thomas told the police witness that he had witnessed Henry shooting the other man to death.

However, the officer testified that days later, as Thomas was being charged and when cautioned about Hentzel’s murder, said, “Mi nuh tell you everything a'ready”.

When further cautioned about Nichols’ murder, he reportedly said, “Mi nuh tell you say mi nuh know nothing bout da on deh".

According to the officer, Thomas told him that, on the morning of the incident, he met Henry at church in Port Maria and they travelled to Wentworth district where they stopped at Henry’s father's house and drank porridge before they heard the bikes and went to enquire.

However, the court heard earlier evidence from a now retired deputy superintendent of police that Henry, during the trip to the murder scene, told him that, “A Dwight kill de white man dem”.

'CHICKENING OUT'

The retired police witness had also told the court that Thomas, in a recorded caution statement, said that while he was waiting for Henry at his father’s house, the defendant called him on his phone and told him to come to look at the motorcycles, and when he went up into the bushes, he saw one of the white men lying on the ground with his hands bound.

He alleged further that the other man ran, and Henry fired at him and missed but chased and shot and chopped him.

According to Thomas, Henry then returned and shot the other man in the head.

Thomas had also reportedly told that police officer that he told his cousin that “Him nuh deh pon da one yah” after he told him that “whiteman slave wi” and he was “chickening out”. The witness also disclosed that Thomas told him that he played no part in the murder.

But the investigating officer told the court that Thomas had reported to him that he had helped to tie up one of the men.

The the confessed killer, who is the prosecution's main witness, had testified that he and Thomas had each killed one of the men. According to him, he tied up the man who was found with his hands tied and shot him in his head, while Thomas chased the other men, shot and chopped him in the head.

In the meantime, the investigating officer told the court that he had cautioned Henry on each occasion that he spoke and that he had refused to have a lawyer present and instead told the police to get a justice of the peace.

The investigating officer, who said Thomas was known to him before the murder case, said the defendant told him more than once “mi and u good man” when told about his right to remain silent but two justices of the peace were summoned to witness some of the statements which were written, and video recorded.

He also testified that on each occasion when he saw Thomas, he was calm and relaxed and in good physical condition and never made any complaints.

The investigating officer will continue on the stand when the trial resumes on Monday.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com