More details emerge in fatal stabbing of Jamaican family in New York

New details regarding the stabbing deaths of a Jamaican family of four in Queens, New York are emerging as the police dig deeper into their investigation.

The victims have been identified as Richmond Davis, who is believed to be in his 30s; his wife, Suzette Taylor-Davis, 44, and 12-year-old Rojean Davis and 11-year-old Mikklia James.

Christine Watson, 61, the aunt of the killer, remains in hospital battling stabbed wounds.

The bodies of the husband, wife, and 12-year-old were discovered in a back room of the house on Beach 22 Street in Far Rockaway, Queens.

The 11-year-old girl was discovered on the lawn of the property with stab wounds from which she died on arrival at hospital.

Reports further indicate that the son-in-law recently arrived in the United States from Jamaica.

A teenage daughter of Watson broke a window and escaped the carnage and called 911, saying that a cousin was killing her family members.

Courtney Gordon, 38, who is said to be the nephew of Watson, was fatally shot by the police who responded to the 911 call.

He was shot after slashing one policeman and stabbing another.

The other victims were found in the house after police were able to access the premises.

Both police officers, who had non-life-threatening injuries, were treated at hospital and released Sunday night.

Police reports are that one of the responding officers, who suffered knife wounds, managed to pull his firearm and shot and killed Gordon, who was at the time leaving the house with a suitcase and attacked the officers who stopped him for questioning.

Reports further stated that other police officers who responded to the scene were unable to enter the home as a fire was set to a coach in the living room.

The fire department responded and put out the blaze.

On entering the home, police found the 12-year-old, Taylor, and her husband all stabbed to death.

Watson was taken to hospital with multiple stab wounds and is listed in critical condition.

Reports said that Gordon, who was the perpetrator, had previously been charged with domestic violence in the Bronx.

The New York Daily News reported that Gordon's sister told the newspaper that Gordon was taken into the Far Rockaway home by his aunt after he had become homeless.

Reports reaching The Gleaner are that police had been called to the home on several occasions because of disturbances there.

Snapped 

The stabbings by Gordon followed the recent stabbing killings by another Jamaica, also in Queens, who stabbed three people to death in the house that he owned.

The Jamaican landlord, 54-year-old David Daniel, has been charged with three counts of murder and he told law enforcement at the time of his arrest that he “just snapped.”

Daniel, who migrated from Kingston to the United States, walked into the 113th police precinct in Queens two Tuesdays ago and told officers that he had done something bad.

When officers went to the house he owned in St Albans, Queens, they discovered three people – two women and a man – dead from stab wounds.

They were identified as 51-year-old Coleen Fields, 55-year-old Evette Sweeney, and 57-year-old Wayne Thomas.

Sweeney and Thomas were found dead in a basement bedroom while Fields, said to have been Daniel's girlfriend, was discovered dead in a bedroom on the upper floor of the house.

According to Assistant Chief Kevin Williams, Daniel told police that he was under a lot of pressure.

Daniel has been arraigned on three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of second-degree murder, and criminal possession of a weapon.

Prosecutors told the court during the arraignment that they would be seeking life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Information pieced together by the police suggests that Thomas and Sweeney were not paying rent despite an agreement made that they would resume their rent payment following the COVID-19 pandemic during which time rent was not paid by them to Daniel.

Reports are that Daniel and his girlfriend were at loggerheads because of his inability to collect rent from the tenants and that there were ongoing disputes between them.

- Lester Hinds

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