Murdered missionary had bloody sign of cross on forehead

ONE OF the two American missionaries who were murdered in St Mary in 2016 was reportedly found in a sitting position in a gutter with what appeared to be the sign of a cross written in blood on his forehead.

The missionary’s eyes were also reportedly wide open and it appeared as if he had been crying.

A St Thomas labourer, who had worked with the missionary, 53-year-old Harold Nichols, made the revelation during his testimony in the Home Circuit Court yesterday while detailing how he found his boss’ body after searching tirelessly in bushes.

Nichols and 48-year-old Randy Hentzel were found were found dead in Wentworth district in St Mary on, Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1, 2016.

Nichols’ body was found late Sunday afternoon during a search involving support from the Canine Division and residents. His colleague was found face down in bushes on Saturday with his hands bound to the back.

The two men were last seen leaving their home on separate motorcycles.

A taxi driver from the parish, Andre Thomas, 34, who was charged with two counts of murder, is being tried for the missionaries’ murder.

Thomas was jointly charged with Dwight Henry, a St Mary farmer.

However, Henry pleaded guilty in January to two counts of murder under a plea deal and was sentenced to life in prison with a stipulation that he served 28 years in prison before parole consideration. Henry will be giving evidence for the Crown in the trial.

The St Thomas labourer, who said he carried out handyman services for Nichols, testified that he learnt of the missionary’s death on the morning of May 1, after returning from a party.

A team of people along with himself, after being advised by the police, travelled to the area where Hentzel’s body was found and started searching for Nichol’s body in small groups, the witness shared.

But he said after searching for hours, they were unable to find the missionary and at one point the crowd had lessened and he was searching on his own.

Sometime after, he said the police brought in “sniffing dogs” to assist.

The witness said he continued searching and during his search decided to travel down a path where he saw a small spring and something looking like a white towel.

While searching he said kept on calling “Mr Harry”, despite objection from members of his search party.

The labourer recalled that during the search some of the men with whom he was travelling stopped to pick pumpkins and cut cane and he got vexed and left them.

The witness said he continued on the path alone and stumbled on a gutter and when he looked closely he saw Nichol’s body.

“I saw Mr Harry sitting down in the water on a stone. I was so shocked when I see him, I was so frightened, is like me also lose mi mind,” he recounted.

“His face was blood-up and like him push him hand to the blood and use it mek a cross in his forehead,” the witness replied when asked by the prosecutor to describe his observation then.

The witness said when he recovered from his shock, he went to notify the others who were a part of his search party and “dem fling weh dem bags wid di food”. The police were also summoned.

According to the labourer, he was very hurt by Nichols’ murder, as he was a great man who helped a lot of people in the parish and even braved the storm to assist others.

Two farmers also testified yesterday. One told the court that he had seen the missionaries passing on their bikes while he was on his farm but had only seen Nichol’s face.

He testified that later that day he heard of their death and when he went on the scene saw Nichols laying down on his back with his hands bound behind him with his bike nearby.

The other witness said he had stumbled on Nichols’ body when he went to pick mangoes and he ran and alerted the police.

The trial will continue today with Nichols’ wife taking the stand.

Attorneys Leroy Equiano and Althea Freeman are representing the defendant.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com