February 24, 2007

Killed In Cold Blood - by L. K. Hewlett of The St. Kitts - Nevis Observer , Friday February 23, 2007

Nevis' tranquility was shattered last week when 2 year-old Shermelle Williams-Phillip was found dead in her car, the victim of an apparent murder. The plot thickened after police arrested and charged the victim's husband Warrington Phillip with her murder.

Phillip was taken into custody just hours after Shermelle's body was discovered, when a doctor at the Alexandra Hospital alerted police to his presence there. The Jessup's Village man was formally charged five days after his Feb. 16 detention when he said to be 'assisting police with the investigation'.

A police official said that a friend of Phillip's had taken him to the hospital after he appeared to have 'flipped out' or fainted. No explanation was given as the time as to what might have caused Phillip's condition.

Shermelle's mother said she knew who had killed her first-born child but would leave the person to God.

"I received a call from Mrs. Fahie that night and she said that I should come to the house because something had happened to Shermelle. While on my way to the house someone else called and asked if I had heard anything else. They said police and a lot of people where at the house. As soon as I got there and saw the crowd and the police but no ambulance, I knew my daughter was dead," the grieving mother told The Observer.

The assault appeared to have happened in Shermelle's car while she was still in the driveway of her home, which happens to be directly opposite former Commissioner of Police Calvin Fahie's residence in Brown Hill. She was reportedly on her way to a dinner party.

A passer-by had discovered the young woman's body after he noticed her car lights where on and went to check to see if she needed some form of assistance. The man fled to the former cop's house after seeing Shermelle's bloodied body slumped between the driver's seat nd the back seat. Fahie rushed over to his neighbor's aid, only to realize that the young woman was already dead.

Shermelle's father, popular calypsonian Keith "King Dis N' Dat' Scarborough said from the time he got to the scene he knew who had killed his child. Scarborough spoke of seeing a familiar item of clothing lying near to the car; a hat he presumed had fallen from Shermelle's killer as the women struggled with her assailant.

"The instant I heard that Shermelle was killed, there was no doubt in my mind as to who could have done it. Everyone who heard about it said that same thing, it had to be that person. I saw a hat near the car that night and I knew who the owner was, that made me even more sure of who did it," Scarborough said.

The last straw, he claimed, had come when Shermelle saw Phillip sharpening a cutlass while muttering that he 'had to kill her'. Scarborough said he had pleaded with police countless time to 'lock him up'.

Both of Shermell's parents said they were never happy about her four year marriage to Phillip and had repeatedly told their daughter to stay clear of her estranged husband.

According to family members, the relationship was one of repeated physical and emotional abuse which had caused Shermelle to flee from their Jessup's home and return to the Brown Hill house they had once shared. While there, they claim Phillip tormented her by repeatedly entering the house and removing her furniture and belongings. It was claimed he had threatened to kill her and dump her body in the sea on a numerous occasions and had even flushed his wedding ring down the toilet and burned all pictures of the couple. Scarborough said that after Shermelle had replaced her furniture, Phillip once again took her fridge, gas tank, bed and the very clothesline that hung outside; even then he said the items were replaced and Shermelle tried to go on with her life.

Scarborough alleged that on several different occasions throughout the tumultuous marriage, police had been summoned after Phillip had battered his wife.

"I only found out how he beat her long after things had happened. She kept it hidden from me, close as we were, Her husband seemed jealous of her relationships with me because we went everywhere together. He got upset that the girl joined her choice choir. After I knew what was really going on she used to call and complain to me all the time. All I could do was tell her to leave. She finally got the courage to run but went back with him on the advice of her pastor. He was the one who left the house last October," the outraged father said.

Her mother too recalled incidents when Shermelle had to ask her for assistance in getting dressed after being injured by Phillip. Recounting how Phillip had attempted to court Shermelle when she was just seventeen, her mother said she had warned her daughter that did not have good intentions if he could "trouble" a minor. At seventeen, she had begun an affair with the then 29-year-old Phillip; a relationship that she kept secret from her confidant, her best friend, her mother.

The Observer contacted Superintendent Joseph Liburd who confirmed at least one report that the police had received from the decedent.

"There was a report made by the young lady last July that her life had been threatened by her husband. She indicated that she wished to move out of the house they shared in Jessup's Police responded and investigated the matter after which, they assisted Mrs. Phillip is getting her belongings out of the house safely. At the time, her husband was not present," Liburd said.

He said that prior to being arrested for murder, Phillip had no criminal record on the island of Nevis.

On Wednesday, police and family members of the slain woman entered the house at the murder scene. It appeared that no evidence was collected as the family was allowed to remove some of Shermelle's personal items including her photo albums that depicted her in happier times.

Inspector Hilroy Brandy of the Criminal Investigation Department in Nevis said that the investigation into the murder was ongoing even though a charge had been laid. He alluded that Phillip became a person of interest immediately following the crime due to 'information' gathered.

"The young woman was pronounced dead at the scene and taken directly to the morgue. Officers processed the crime scene, removed evidence and proceeded to conduct their investigation immediately. the car in which the victim was found has been impounded for processing as well. We did not charge the suspect until the postmortem was complete. According to Dr. Stephen Jones, a forensic pathologist from Barbados, death was due to hemorrhage and shock resulting from stab wounds to the neck," Brandy outlined.

The officer said he could not speculate as to what the motive was for the crime, but said it was particularly brutal. The body, he said, had stab wounds to the right side of the neck, head, shoulder and left hand. He said it appeared that the woman had tried to shield herself from the onslaught of stabs aimed at her head and neck.

The incident took place between 7:30 and 8 pm yet no one has been able to confirm the existence of any eyewitnesses. The father said persons who were driving by while the savagery was in progress said Shermelle was trying to draw attention to what was happening by flashing her lights. Sadly, he said, no one realized the brevity of her actions until it was too late.

Phillip was transported to Her Majesty's Prison in St. Kitts where he joined has half-brother, Che Gregory "Duck Foot" Spencer as they both await trial for murder.

February 23, 2007

One More Week To Go.

And just when I was really starting to fit in to boot.

I haven't told a few people at work yet that I'm leaving. I know that two of the girls aren't going to happy about it, but it's not like I can stay. I would if I could.

The 8 o'clock Friday night boat is up and running again. Good thing too. A bunch of people were in Nevis for the funeral for a lady that was killed in Brown Hill last week. It was this afternoon and it seems that a lot of people came for it from St. Kitts to attend it.

Last week Friday I got a lift to a restaurant and take out place that one of the Hill's ran. The boat wasn't running again that Friday so I went to help out when I heard that he was short handed and couldn't take me up by Busy's. Near the end of my time there, he got a call from a friend telling him about this lady that had her throat cut up Brown Hill. They found her around 8 pm. If I had walked down Brown Hill instead of getting the ride, I might have walked right past her car just before or as it was happening.

For the whole week, we all walked fast coming out of Brown Hill because of it, and because the bus that use to come for us at 7 pm stopped coming. Today we were told by the bus driver that there wasn't enough money in it for him.

The lady it seems was killed by her husband. I finally got a newspaper with the story. I've grabbed one twice this week, but both time I wasn't able to read to the whole thing and each story was a different part of what was going on. I'll type up the most of it maybe tomorrow. It's the second murder in the Federation for the year it seems. That was the head line from the first newspaper I got to read. "Murder # 2"was the real head line. I didn't get what it meant until I asked someone later that week.

We had all kind of technical problems at work this week, but I still had a good count at the end of the day. I expected to see some over time this week, but it didn't happen. But tonight I was asked about working over time next week. Sure. I hope if its for the whole week, but I may end up with only 2 maybe 3 days. I'll take five and spend one last night in Morning Star with Busy them. Yes that is local talk.

Well it's time I tried to get some sleep. I have to take a pic for my KFC application along with Jhodie. She is going to apply for part time work. Last week, we went out to Ottlie's Plantation to apply for a job. At first we didn't get what people were complaining about. They were saying that it was a long walk from the road to the plantation, but we didn't think it was so bad until we had to almost scale a cliff to to get there, then walk around the biggest retirement home type lawn that I had ever seen. I was so out of breath by the time I got there, that I almost decided that I it wasn't worth the pay unless it was at least $900 every two weeks after taxes.

I may get some more applications set up for my sister to mail for me on Monday. We can not go for more than two weeks after I leave Nevis. I sent my nice, old boss Ayo, a text message letting him know my cell number incase something comes up so he can call me since I no longer have my house phone. I just wish that he had answered my messages. I sent the message twice.

Ok, I think that's it for now. It's 12:57 am I have to go to go to bed.

Night everyone.

February 16, 2007

Flowers.


I think that I like gerberas now. They look nice don't they.

I might be crashing in Morning Star again tonight. They still don't have a 8 o'clock boat. That bites.

I'm off to lunch now. See ya.

** I got the flowers back!**

February 11, 2007

Lets See.

I'm quiting my job.

Because I can't stay in Nevis any longer and no, I do not have another job to go to.

At first I was leaving because of Nanny. I can't stay somewhere I don't feel safe. I called the cops on him last week because he threatened me because I told him to put back something that didn't belong to him. He took it to spite me even though it wasn't mine.

For the rest of the week I locked myself away in the bedroom. Unless I had to use the bathroom, and the first night when I went out into the kitchen to plug power back into my room. The room gets power through an extension cord from a transformer in the kitchen. He plugged it out. I plugged it back in so I use the fan. It was abit hot and the mosquitoes were eating me alive.

The next night, he had invited a gang of his friends over and I had to walk though the lot of them to get inside the house. It didn't help that one of them was on the bus that I took from town and was cursing out an older lady the whole trip. I waited for him to pull the power on me again that night after he was finished with his version of sound warfare, but he left it alone.

That is not to say that there wasn't some incidents after the cop thing. One, he came to the door and I told him that I couldn't let him. Then he said something about Lynn and closing the door on her stuff. I though he was bringing back what he took. Ofcurse I was wrong. He busted into the room when I opened it to get the thing back, and he starts talking about he's taking back his stuff. He took a book fine. He was looking for the cigs he left behind, but then went for the surge protectors that were connected to the pc. He then tried to take the extension cord from the room, I brought it back in before I told him to get out. He put his hand in my face like I wasn't granted the permission to talk to him, and I told him to get out and stood my ground. I tried to keep Xhavion from getting into the middle of it, and he told me not to touch him, and the kid joined in and picked up stuff staying that this was his mommies and I shouldn't touch them. Fine! Get Out! They left and I was left shaken.

The next morning her mother showed up. I didn't let her in, and she cursed at me thought the door. She first said that she wanted a soap. I told her that I would give it to her, but I wasn't letting her in. After a bit longer she told me give her the soap along with a whole other bunch of words and she just looked at me and soap. Then after being quite for the first time since she got there, she said that she didn't want it, she wanted something else and to let her in. I said no and closed the door. I can still hear the words that she called me. They have been bouncing around my head ever since.

By the way, I called Jhodie to let her knew about the cop and how Nanny was acting, and she told Lynn for me, and Lynn said that I wasn't suppose to let anyone in her room and to keep it locked.

Friday morning around 4:30 I woke up to use the bath room. I was being quite about opening the door and locking it behind me since he decided to sleep out in the living room with his bedroom and living room lights and the tv on and loud. And I also saw the he had my remote that went missing off my person about three weeks or so back when I was sleeping. That is why he started shouting about how he didn't touch anything that belonged to me when I was telling about about returning what he took from Lynn's room. Well I took the remote, turned down the tv, used the bathroom, and made it back to my room just as he woke up.

Then to top off my lovely week in Nevis, there was no boat to St. Kitts after 5 pm. A whole bunch of us were stranded there. I was there for 7:30 incase that boat was running again, but I expected to take the 8pm one. But it turns out that the normal 8pm boat was broken and no one wanted to make it's run, and no one was going to go between St. Kitts and Nevis for the rest of the night. So people were stranded on both sides for the night. I waited until after 8pm hoping that someone might decide to make the run, but the only boat there said that they didn't have to, and he was sorry. No he wasn't. I was not going back to New Castle. So I called up the other family person that I had a phone number for, and came and got me and dropped me off at Busy's house. Sorry, I don't know how to spell her name.

Anyway, since I was only staying a night, I got a bed and we talked while watching tv and cleaning up until I went to bed around 11:45. I woke up to leave at 6:30, I didn't want to wake up at 6am like I set my phone to wake up me at, but I thought it was going to be ok anyway. I got up. put my shoes on and woke up Busy to tell her I was leaving and walked out the door with my stuff. Then as I started walking down the street, I realized that this was Nevis. Buses don't go by every 5 mins like St. Kitts in the morning.

I thought that I was going to be late. And I might have been, if they didn't decide late that they were going to make a morning run after all. People who worked there, didn't know what was happening, but people were buying the boarding tickets and waiting at the end of the pier to see what was going to happen. I walked around trying to see what was happening, and then I saw the booth open up. That had to be a good sign I told myself. I walked over to the long line and got my ticket, and then got my boarding ticket to walk down the pier to the same boat that sat there last night. Now in all fairness, I can't be truly mad at the captain. He didn't own the boat, he just drove it, and if his boss didn't tell him to work he can't just take the boat out.

Either which way, someone else from the night before didn't just let it be, and told them what I was thinking about how they ended up taking us over anyway, and it would have been better if it was done last night.

Well I got home, hung out for about 3 or so hours, then went back to town with Nika and Jhodie. To "sink" a bit lower, I filled out a form for KFC. I'm not thrilled about it, but beggars can't be choosers. I sent a text message to Ayo, so he could have my cell number since I no longer have my home phone, and I was short on money.

Speaking of bills. I still have the high ones. The only good news on that front, is that as far as Hosford is considered, I will be current with them after I make another $300 payment next paycheck

Now back to why I was really leaving Nevis. I know that I said that Nandy was making me feel unsafe and that I wasn't staying any longer. But when I saw that he was just throwing a very large size tantrum, and getting away with what he could while Lynn was gone, I decided to stay until the end of the month instead of fleeing a week sooner, since I have to give my job at least two week notice. They will be getting a three week notice when I get back tomorrow.

What truly started all of this off is that Lynn was in the hospital on Sunday or so . She collapsed in St. Kitts and was taken to the hospital and she was in there until Thursday. The doctor told her that it was better for her health if she moved to St. Kitts. I don't know why or how, but he said that the air over here was better. If anything I would say it's because they still burn trash over there constantly all over the island. So, she is going to leave Nevis, and I can't stay with Busy, because besides her there is Ben and then her sister and her two sons. There is no room. As for Simmion, I don't him that well. I think that the last time I saw him before moving to Nevis was when I went to his wedding when I was 12 or so.

Well, Nika is currently at a birthday party, and I Jhodie went with her. I've been typing this up for like an hour at least, and watching CSI at the same time. Just before that I made some lunch. Garlic heated spaghetti from last night.

I had started a blog from last weekend, but I didn't get around to finishing it. If I remember anything I may try again before I move back here, but who knows. If anything. The week before was much better the week that came after it.

Well I'm off to wash my hair before the come back. The door is locked and Jhodie didn't take her keys.

Well, take care. Oh, I did manage to post wallpapers to my club last weekend. Swing by and see if you like anything if you haven't already.

Night.

February 01, 2007

Fwd: Don't miss this: An article you've got to read

Are you better off single?


By Dawn Yanek
Attention, unmarried people of America: You can splurge on a fancy new wristwatch without having to explain yourself. You can stay out till 3 a.m. without having to phone home. You can leave the toilet seat up. In fact, there are many, many ways that single life rocks, though you may forget that fact when your relatives are grilling you about settling down.

Not only do you have the freedom to do anything you want—it’s also the best time in history to be flying solo. The marriage rate has declined nearly 50 percent since 1970, according to the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University, and right now, there are approximately 100 million singles in the U.S. And there’s strength in those numbers: “Today’s choose-to-be singles differ from the poor-me singles of past generations; there’s less of a stigma attached to being single, ” says Jerusha Stewart, author of The Single Girl’s Manifesta. “Singles are traveling, buying homes and doing everything they want to—you don’t have to get married anymore to live your life with style.”

Want more specifics on why you should celebrate being single? Here, 10 fascinating benefits to being unmarried:

Reason #1: You have a better body.
We’ve all been there—you get into a relationship, and suddenly you’re trying out new recipes all the time and cuddling instead of exercising. Well, things tend to get worse with marriage. A recent Cornell University study found that women generally gain five to eight pounds in the first few years of marriage and unhappily married women gain an average of 54 pounds in the first 10 years.

For the unmarried, though, the motivation to stay slim remains: “Singles look at themselves through the eyes of others and want to be attractive to potential partners,” says Susan Davis, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in New York City, “so they’re still ‘working on themselves.’” In short, being single is way better than any New Year’s resolution or exercise DVD to motivate you to stay in shape.

Reason #2: You’re more likely to achieve great things.
It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you have the time, the quiet and the lack of familial responsibilities. In fact, your premarital motivation to excel in life may be biologically programmed. According to a study conducted at the London School of Economics and Political Scientists, male scientists who stay single longer peak in their careers later in life and tend to be more productive than their married counterparts. Researchers theorize that men, in general, may show off their talents to win the interest of women and then, once they’ve won a wife, get comfortable and do less. In fact, studies have shown that testosterone levels, which boost action, decrease after a man gets married and has children. So single folk should know they are primed to achieve — whether that means turbo-charging their careers or honing their rock-climbing skills — and get out there and work it!

Reason #3: You do less housework.
You know that saying about a tree falling in a forest and there’s no one there to hear it? Well, if you leave a sock on the floor but there’s no one else there to see it, does it really need to be picked up? If you’re a single woman, you can contemplate deep questions like this one because you have more free time. According to one study published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, women do less housework when single than when married. Men, on the other hand, do more housework when unmarried (that’s probably because there’s someone picking up after them once they’re wed…). So the message here is for unmarried women to enjoy their less chore-filled life; fill those free hours with classes, good books, blabbing with friends—whatever makes you happy.

Reason #4: You can do what you want with your money—including keep it.
Go ahead: Splurge on that pricey moisturizer or that obscenely large plasma TV you’ve been lusting after. You don’t have to justify your purchase to anyone but yourself. Once you mix money with marriage, though, things change—and fast. According to a survey by SmartMoney magazine, 40 percent of women and 36 percent of men have lied to their spouses about a purchase. “When you’re single, your finances are your own,” explains Phyllis Chase, a Los Angeles–based psychologist and co-host of the radio show Shrink Rap. “When you’re married, you have to deal with different styles of spending and saving, and you may take on your partner’s debt.” And a marriage that doesn’t make it for the long haul can also have a major negative effect on one’s wealth. According to researchers at Ohio State University’s Center for Human Resource Research, during a divorce, men and women generally lose three-fourths of their personal net worth. Double ouch.

Reason #5: You have better sex.
Married couples may have more sex (approximately 98 times a year vs. singles’ 49), but singles have better sex. According to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal, married women are significantly more likely to report problems with their sex lives than single women. “People who are dating have better sex because it’s novel,” says Davis. “Married people have to relearn how to play. It’s natural for singles because that’s the nature of a courting relationship—they tease, they experiment, they explore.” Nature lends a helping hand, too. According to researchers at the University of Pisa in Italy, raging testosterone levels in both men and women makes the sex hotter during the first two years of a relationship. After that, other hormones take over—most notably, oxytocin, a bonding chemical, kicks in. While getting connected and comfortable is a positive step in a relationship, long-term lovers have to work harder to keep things hot in the bedroom. Singles, however, sizzle just the way they are.

Reason #6: You’re better rested and smarter.
While snuggling up next to a warm body can be pretty fantastic, according to a survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, your bedmate can cause you to lose an average of 49 minutes of sleep per night. Sleeping two-to-a-bed just isn’t as restful as snoozing solo. Other studies confirm that singles generally get more rest — seven to eight hours of sleep a night — than marrieds, which enhances memory, mood and concentration, as well as allows your immune system to recharge. And, according to scientists at the University of Luebeck in Germany, creativity and problem-solving may directly correlate with getting enough sleep. In the study, participants were given a math puzzle; those who’d had eight hours of sleep or more before tackling it were three times more likely to get the right answer than those who slept less. So, singles, revel in the fact that you’re alert, rested and have that extra brain-power edge.

Reason #7: You’re less depressed.
Although the media often perpetuates the image of single people being down in the dumps, overall unmarried people tend to be happier than their married counterparts—if you’re a woman, that is. One report by the World Health Organization indicated that married women, especially ones with children, have a higher risk for depression than single women, and researchers at the University of London found that single women generally have fewer mental-health issues. “Marriage, in many ways, seems to benefit men more than women,” says Davis. “For women, there’s more of a loss of self.” And, of course, today’s women often feel like they need to do it all—have a career, take care of the kids and perform other traditionally “female” responsibilities. “People who aren’t married are still investing in themselves,” says Davis. “It’s not selfish—it’s giving to yourself, and that’s something married people can learn from single people.”

Reason #8: You have better friendships.
Significant others are a wonderful thing, no doubt, but friends count, too. And on that front, one study found that, when women get married and have children, they spend much less time with their friends—less than five hours a week, down from 14 hours. Singles, however, often have the greatest sense of friendship and community—which can actually decrease stress levels, according to researchers at UCLA.

Here's another way to look at this: “Singles don’t rely on just one person to meet their needs. You don’t automatically know who you’re going to spend Friday night with,” says Sasha Cagen, author of Quirkyalone: A Manifesto for Uncompromising Romantics. “The plus side is that you have a lot of different people in your life and potentially a greater sense of social possibilities.”

Reason #9: Your travel tales are enviable.
Marrieds take the most vacations, dominating the market with 62 percent of all trips taken, but singles arguably go on more interesting trips. According to the Travel Industry Association of America, singles corner the adventure-travel market, engaging in activities like whitewater rafting, scuba diving and mountain biking. Being single and relatively footloose certainly allows you to expand your geographical — and personal — borders. “I have lived abroad, backpacked for close to a year, have been in love three times and much more,” says Courtney Davis, 27, a media-relations manager in Boston. “With every place and every person, my world has expanded.”

Reason #10: You know yourself—and what you want out of a relationship.
You’re a better catch now than you were at 20. You may have signs of, ahem, experience etched on your face, but that’s OK because you’re more interesting and more self-aware. Not only have you grown as a person, but you’ve probably been through the ringer a few times in matters of love and now know what you want—and what you don’t. Experts say that bodes well for future marital success and may actually decrease the likelihood of divorce. “When people get married young, they often feel like the other person will complete them, and they have trouble moving past that Hollywood myth,” explains Chase. “But maturity brings so much, because if you’re able to communicate who you are and what you want, the better your chances of having a successful marriage.” And that’s a wonderful message: Your single self is great... and should you find the right person and decide to marry, you’re more likely to thrive in that stage of your life, too.

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Hope the read wasn't too long for you.

I'm happy that I got around to getting it fixed so you can read it.

See ya.