Silent Hill grieves as second elderly man found dead in bushes

The discovery of the decomposing body of 74-year-old Clifton Chambers in bushes near his home in Silent Hill, Manchester, on Tuesday sent shock waves throughout the rural district.

Chambers, who was visually impaired, reportedly went missing on September 15.

The Christiana police said that residents stumbled upon the elderly man’s body about 5:45 p.m. and alerted them.

The circumstances of the grim discovery were all too familiar for residents as, some three months ago, the body of a 67-year-old man, also named Clifton, was found in bushes in the community.

Clifton Bent had been missing for three days.

Bent’s family is still awaiting post-mortem results to finalise his funeral arrangements.

Merlina Chambers, daughter-in-law of Clifton Chambers, told The Gleaner she was at a loss as to why anyone would want to harm the elderly man, who was well loved by the community.

“Mi can’t believe them woulda do him that. All now mi nuh believe say him dead. All now mi cyaa eat,” said the grief-stricken woman.

Merlina said that her father had lived alone for many years, as per his wishes, but relatives would visit regularly, taking him food and money.

Chambers was reportedly last seen alive by one of his daughters, who had gone by to give him money.

Merlina now ponders if he was targeted and robbed.

She said that the grief was compounded by the fact that her husband, Chambers’ son, is currently fishing at sea and is yet to be notified that his father went missing, let alone that he had died.

“About 300 miles from Jamaica him de, enuh ... . Him deh in a different water. A next week wi a look fi him come home,” Merlina said, adding that she was not yet sure how she would break the news to him.

Christopher Mendez was a part of the search team that stumbled upon the elderly man’s body in murky waters on Tuesday.

“Mi foot dem start feel weak,” he said of the moment they made the grisly find.

Mendez, who described Chambers as a “good man”, told The Gleaner that he felt the urge to venture out and search the bushes after receiving a dream on Monday night.

“Mi have a dream weh mi grandmother a say, ‘Look how yuh love di man an’ yuh nuh guh search fi di man’. So the morning mi wake up and see bere vulture in the area and mi say wi a fi start search,” said Mendez.

He said that it appeared that the body had been relocated during the heavy rains.

A post-mortem is to be conducted as investigations continue.

olivia.brown@gleanerjm.com