Jealousy blamed for murder-suicide in Rollington Town
Published:Thursday | December 27, 2018 | 12:00 AMJason Cross/Gleaner Writer
If it wasn't for her secretive nature, 40-year-old Anika Taylor, who was reportedly murdered by her boyfriend in Rollington Town in east Kingston yesterday morning, would still be alive today, according to relatives and neighbours.
After allegedly murdering Taylor, her boyfriend, 29-year-old Jonathan 'Paul' Riley, is reported to have hanged himself from a tree with a cable cord inside their Portland Road yard.
The mother of one, who was a vendor in downtown Kingston, was said to have been enduring a gradually more unbearable relationship with Riley, who, a family friend explained, "was determined him cya lose" after she made several attempts to part ways with him.
The friend, who did not wish to be named, said Taylor underwent major surgery some months ago and had to stay away from vending for a while until she was forced to return to work in order to pay her bills.
"She secretive and don't like the excitement. She had a man for years, but she was going through a verbally abusive relationship. She finished with that relationship, but she and the ex-boyfriend shared a shop on Matthews Lane," the family friend told The Gleaner at the scene yesterday. "When she finished with that relationship was when she met Paul, who came from Old Harbour [in St Catherine]."
WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING
The friend insisted that "Paul was a wolf in sheep's clothing" as he had shown no early signs that he was capable of such a violent act. It was much later that he began displaying concerning behaviour.
The friend stated that Riley indulged in excessive drinking and smoking on the night of Boxing Day but gave no indication of his intentions.
"During the early stages, he was the perfect gentleman who washed, cooked and cleaned. After a while, everything changed. She did a surgery earlier this year and couldn't walk or anything. During all of this, her ex-boyfriend was still selling in the shop in downtown. Paul wanted her to put him out, but she couldn't because he was running the shop for her while she was recovering," said the friend.
"Paul did not like when the ex-boyfriend called her phone, even about the business. Paul used to work, but then him start sit down doing nothing, and she talk to him about it. In September, she went back to work because she had bills to take care of. From she start work back, him taunt her every minute, wanting to know her whereabouts. He thought she was with her ex."
The friend continued, "Wednesday night into Thursday morning, him stab her in her neck and cover her mouth with pillow. She ran to the veranda and managed to throw the keys outside so he couldn't get out the house easily."
The official police report stated that at about 6:15 a.m. yesterday, residents summoned them after stumbling upon the body of Riley. Upon arrival, the lawmen did further checks and found Taylor with stab wounds. Both were pronounced dead at hospital.