Tabby Diamond’s widow knocks reprisal death theory
Published:Thursday | April 7, 2022 | 12:08 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
Evanie Henry, the common-law wife of slain reggae legend Donald ‘Tabby Diamond’ Shaw, has broken her silence on the police allegation that the gun death was a reprisal against her son, Jahmarley Shaw, who has been dubbed “a known violence producer”.
Henry has rubbished what she calls the police’s hasty conclusion that the younger Shaw, who has reportedly been in custody since May 2021 on a murder charge, was the fuelling factor for the iconic singer’s killing nine days ago.
Henry said she was unaware of a connection with her son and gang activities.
“Dem just put it that way. If him even inside a jailhouse, how him fi make him father dead? And nothing nah go on,” she said in a Gleaner interview Wednesday.
Henry claimed that the community was shocked at the news that Shaw was a target, suggesting that police intelligence was not shared with the family.
“Weh grieve me, when mi nice, nice babyfather dead, now dem a go make me know say one killing go on somewhere, say my son send out man fi kill man father and that’s why dem come back come kill my babyfather,” Henry said, crying.
“If the police dem know that, don’t dem shoulda make we know say little things a go on somewhere? We nuh know which part it a come from.”
Her perplexity contrasts with the Tuesday’s declaration by Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson that the killing of the reggae artiste, the lead singer of the Mighty Diamonds trio, was directly linked to his son. (Another member, Fitzroy ‘Bunny’ Simpson, died from illness three days later).
Senior Superintendent Kirk Ricketts, divisional commander of St Andrew South, had told The Gleaner hours after Tabby Diamond’s death that detectives theorised that the killing was a proxy attack.
McKinley Crescent is in the throes of a long-running gang feud with adjoining Wint Road, Ricketts said.
Henry and others wanted to host a wake for Shaw but were informed on Tuesday that no gathering would be permitted.
The security forces have been maintaining a presence on McKinley Crescent, with a police service vehicle parked in the community on Wednesday.
Up to Wednesday, the photo of Jahmarley Shaw, alias ‘Marley Rass’, was still posted on the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s website as being wanted for murder.
The matriarch has rejected the police narrative about her son’s presumed criminal antecedents, arguing that Jamarley is a scapegoat.
Henry said that she and Jamarley’s father thought that he would have been insulated from blame while he was incarcerated.
But the cloud hanging over Jamarley includes accusations of killing his own uncle, Henry’s brother.
“Dem all kill one a mi brother dem inna him yard. When dem kill mi brother, the police dem same one put it say a my son kill him uncle. Dem did hold a man and we know say a him dweet and dem let him go,” she said.
Henry said that Jamarley has been targeted from the day he hosted a community treat in front of their home on the invitation of a People’s National Party councillor.
“Patrick Roberts one time did come here and did ask if him can keep a treat right a mi gate, can’t remember if a did Christmas, but him keep the treat. Tru we never did tek it for nothing me and him (her son) say yea man yuh can keep the treat. From him keep the treat, me say Father God, a pure judgement come down on him,” a tearful Henry said.
She said it was forbidden for the PNP to keep a treat in the Labour Party-dominated territory.
The family is trying to get past the tragedy and has decorated the residence with images of Tabby.
Emerging artiste Knockit Fighterjet, a mentor of Tabby Diamond, has since penned a tribute song, which was repeatedly aired at the McKinley Crescent family home Tuesday.