Alleged St Catherine contract killer remanded

Alleged St Catherine contract killer Carey Rutherford was remanded when he appeared in the parish court today for the shooting death of an American woman as well as the killing of a Chinese businessman in his home.

In the case of the woman, that matter was transferred to the Gun Court and will be heard on November 8.

Allegations are that about 2:30 p.m. on September 23, Shirnet Hammond was inside a taxi returning from a funeral at the Meadowrest Memorial Gardens in Spanish Town when upon reaching a section of the Red Pond main road the accused fired shots, hitting her several times.

She died from injuries received.

Rutherford, 31, alias 'Mad One', a painter from Frazer's Content in Spanish Town, was later arrested and charged with Hammond's murder.

Meanwhile, in the death of the businessman, Rutherford was ordered to return to court on November 29.

His attorney Kemoy McEkron told the court that he will be applying for bail in the 2018 matter, but would do so after Rutherford's appearance in the Gun Court.

Chinese businessman 39-year-old Xiang Qi was killed in July 2018.

Rutherford was recently charged in the case.

It's reported that about 6 a.m. on July 21, 2018, Rutherford and other men broke into and entered Qi's private quarters at his Featherbed Lane, Spanish Town premise and bound his hands and feet.

They allegedly proceeded to inflict several cut wounds to his body and head.

The men then escaped.

A report was made to the police and an investigation was launched.

Rutherford was arrested and subsequently charged with murder and burglary after a question-and-answer session. 

The police are probing Rutherford's possible involvement in two other murders in the Frazer's Content area of St Catherine.

- Rasbert Turner

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.