Former St James ‘most wanted’ gets November court date
Published:Thursday | October 17, 2024 | 12:13 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Joseph ‘Gio’ McKenzie, the St James man who was recently arrested and charged for two murders committed a year apart – in April 2023 and April 2024 – was remanded in custody when he appeared in the St James Parish Court yesterday.
McKenzie, who was St James’ most wanted man at the time of his arrest, is charged with the April 6, 2023, murder of 21-year-old labourer Darian Bowman, of Rock district in Trelawny, and the April 27, 2024, shooting death of 28-year-old shopkeeper Randy McNeil, of Providence Heights in Flanker, St James.
When McKenzie’s case was called up before presiding parish judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton, the court was told that one post-mortem report and a ballistic certificate were outstanding from the prosecution’s case-file, while another post-mortem has been added to the case-file. It was not disclosed for which of the murder cases the outstanding documents are.
Additionally, it was disclosed that attorney-at-law Chumu Parris was recently approached to represent McKenzie and that the defendant is booked to appear in the Western Regional Gun Court on November 1.
“The matter is set for mention on November 25, 2024. You are remanded in custody until November 25, and a fingerprint order is made for you. You will be taken back to court on November 25, Mr McKenzie,” Fairclough-Hylton told the defendant before he was escorted out of the courtroom by police personnel.
McKenzie was charged in September this year with the murders of Bowman and McNeil after he was captured during a police operation along the Harvey Beach in Coral Gardens, St James. He had been prominently featured on the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Wanted Wednesdays programme as St James’ most wanted man prior to his arrest.
In addition to the murders of Bowman and McNeil, McKenzie is charged with using a firearm to commit a felony, possession of a prohibited weapon, and unauthorised possession of ammunition.
According to reports concerning Bowman’s death, on April 6, 2023, motorists travelling along the Flanker main road in St James saw Bowman running and bleeding profusely from multiple gunshot wounds. A Jamaica Defence Force unit took him to the hospital, where he died while being treated.
Concerning McNeil’s death, reports are that on April 27 this year, he was walking along the Flanker roadway when he was pounced upon by a gunman who shot him several times. McNeil was later pronounced dead at hospital.
Notably, Deputy Superintendent of Police Linroy Edwards, the operations officer for the St James Police Division, told the St James Municipal Corporation’s monthly meeting on September 12 that the firearm, which was taken from McKenzie at the time of his arrest, was linked to at least four other violent crimes in the parish.