'Make an example of him' - Family members want stiff punishment for man found guilty of quadruple murder in Clarendon

Family members of the three boys and an adult male killed in the Monymusk Housing Scheme on April 15, 2015 want the court to make an example of the man convicted of the killing.

Jermaine Turner was found guilty of the quadruple murder last Monday and is to be sentenced on April 6, almost two years to the day when 14-year-old Raymond Givans, 14-year-old Ricardo Briscoe, 16-year-old Alex Turner and Marquis Hamilton, a 35-year-old accounting clerk employed to the Monymusk Sugar Factory, were killed.

Following the guilty verdict returned by a jury in Clarendon Circuit Court last week, Givans' father told The Sunday Gleaner he was not surprised as based on the evidence the jurors could return nothing less.

FATHER ASKS WHY

According to the still-mourning father, he would love if Turner could explain why he killed his son.

"What did my son and other little youth dem ever do to you for you to kill dem? I really would like to know the motive for the killing. What could they have done to make him take their lives like that?" said Givans with the pain still evident in his voice.

"It's been a rocky stretch, but what hurts is that after the 'nine-day wonder' of the crime, families were left alone. There was no real support. It's a pain I will live with every day," added Givans.

He told our news team that there are times when his young son sees him crying and he can't even open up to him.

"That was a phone call I never should have gotten. I want them to make an example of him during sentencing. Mi son would outlive his granny cause we come from a line of long living people.

"When you sentencing add up the three youth dem lives - and what they could have become, and not to mention the elder whey dem kill wid dem and then throw the book at him," said the father in his recommendation to Justice Dale Palmer, who is to hand down the verdict.

NO LESS THAN 10 YEARS

According to Givans, he will accept nothing less than 110 years without the possibility of parole for the convicted killer.

In the meantime, Carol Ashley, whose brother Raymond was one of the victims, also wants answers from the killer.

Ashley is convinced that Turner did not act alone and she wants the others to face their day in court.

"We are appealing to anyone with information who can lead to the capturing of the other person or persons to help the family ease the pain and nightmares that they are facing," said Ashley.

"We are happy that this heartless animal is off the street, and although this will not bring back these promising young men we are pleased that he will be convicted, and thanks to the justice system for the good work done," added Ashley, who would want to see the killer or killers pay the ultimate penalty and be executed.

But since it is unlikely that Turner will get the death penalty, Ashley wants the judge to sentence him to at least 99 years at hard labour.

Alexander Turner, the father of Alex, is also pleased that the man who killed his son has been caught by the justice system

"Mi feel likkle better, even though mi know mi son won't come back but mi feel better fi know say him no deh pan di street a big up him chest bout how many people him kill," said the father, as he told tour news team that the guilty verdict has offered some level of closure to the pain he has been carrying for one year and 11 months.

The senior citizen, who has lived alone since the murder of his son, said he followed the case closely and went to all the hearings except one since the matter was first called up in 2015.

"I would feel a hundred per cent better if he was sentenced to be hanged or get a lethal injection, but since that will not be the case I will settle for life imprisonment.

"He should get life imprisonment without parole, he should get at least 25 years on each of the four counts of murder. Him can't expect fi kill so much people and see back road."