‘Valentine’s Day puzzle’ - Residents stunned as cops probe double killing of Calabar coach, woman
Published:Tuesday | February 16, 2021 | 12:17 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
A Honda Civic motor car left abandoned at an open lot near Dawkins Drive in Portmore, St Catherine, was what aroused the suspicions of a passing relative on Monday when Raheima Edwards did not come home Sunday night.
The car looked similar to – and later turned out to be – that of Nicholas Neufville’s, jumps coach at Calabar High School and a close friend of Edwards.
Both were found dead nearby with multiple gunshot wounds – Edwards lying on her back, wearing a white top an blue shorts and Neufville lying face down beside the car in a white top and a jeans shorts apparently pulled halfway down.
Edwards’ mother had reportedly passed by the scene earlier, unbeknownst to her that it was her daughter, who she had not seen or heard from since Sunday night, that was laying dead in the open lot, which is used in the daytime for driving lessons and considered dangerous at nights when it is pitch black.
Hours later and after much suspense, it was a family friend who gave the police at the scene information to contact the deceased woman’s mother.
Edwards, who resided in Passagefort, is a past student of Waterford High School, while Neufville, a former Calabar student athlete-turned-coach, resides in nearby Waterford.
Several persons who knew Neufville well flocked to the crime scene, trying to piece together what some described as a “Valentine’s puzzle”.
“This puzzling cause a fi him car that ... . Is not a gunman. Him coach Calabar and a good youth,” one onlooker commented.
“How dem families a go manage that, knowing that is on Valentines night this happened? This a mystery. Dem carry dem there or is there it happen?” added another.
The person who identified Edwards said the car was spotted by someone on their way to work, who then alerted the family to check it out.
“Dem see the car and say it always a come to her. Is like it started to make sense, and then the clothes deh, a it she leave in a last night, and her mother is waiting for her to come open up [the house]. Her mom drove past and see the body and did not know it was her daughter,” the family friend told The Gleaner.
Neufville’s brother had to be consoled at the scene, having arrived in a fit of fury at seeing his sibling’s body.
He told The Gleaner that while he was unaware of pertinent details, something was not adding up.
Neufville, who is also called Greg, is said to be a hard worker and died leaving a daughter.
A resident, who resides in proximity to the lot, said that he heard several loud explosions about 1 a.m. yesterday.
The bodies were first discovered about 5 a.m.
The investigators collected several items, which appeared to be of evidential value, from the motor car.
Efforts to speak with commander of the St Catherine South Police Division, Senior Superintendent Clive Blair, proved futile.
Investigations continue.