It is the 10th of the month and by our records, there have already been 5 murders so far for February. Murder number 5 occurred around 10:30 this morning in the city when mechanic Lloyd Bodden was killed in front of his house on Ebony Street. 7NEWS was on the scene and Keith Swift has the story of the murder of a man who was long living under the shadow of death.
Keith Swift Reporting,
When 7NEWS arrived on Ebony Street this morning Lloyd Bodden's dead body was still lying face down in the drain where he fell after he was shot. And as onlookers crowded the perimeter of the crime scene, emotions were high as family members arrived to the chilling news and terrible sight of Bodden's dead body.
Here his mother, weeps inconsolably at the entrance to his home. The emotions were raw for his common-law wife Josephine Pateman who saw him minutes before the shooting and told us this much.
Josephine Pateman,
"All I know is Roger [bleeped] got something to do with it, he send the guy to shoot him, that coward."
Eyewitnesses tell us that Bodden who is a mechanic was under this Nissan car working on the engine when a Hispanic male rode up. The killer pulled out his gun and shot Bodden first in one of his legs as evidenced by the blood left on this board. A startled and probably disoriented Bodden then scrambled from under the vehicle and tried to get away leaving this trail of blood across the drain. But he only got as far as in front of the neighbor's yard because the gunman then got off his bike, carefully rested it on this Ford Explorer and then went after Bodden and at close range fired multiple shots - reportedly emptying the gun. The gunman then walked back to his bicycle and casually rode off eyewitnesses say. On the scene this morning Elizabeth Parkinson said her brother was the victim of a ruthless execution.
Elizabeth Parkinson, Sister
"This is not another link of any gang warfare or anything like that, its just another innocent man got gunned down at his workplace. It is very hard for my family because he never messed with anybody, it is always people come after him and of course people will defend themselves."
Joseph Fernandez who worked with Bodden says the 37-year-old mechanic was living under a constant threat of death and had become a virtual prisoner.
Joseph Fernandez, Colleague
"When he wanted something done, dah me go do it for him. Anything he send go buy, I go because he was afraid of some guys who threatened to kill him, I can't say more or less if it was through that."
Keith Swift,
So did he tell you he was fearful for his life?
Joseph Fernandez,
"Well many times he come and tell me but I don't pay it no mind."
Elizabeth Parkinson takes it further. She says her brother was so fearful for his life that he bought a gun.
Elizabeth Parkinson,
"He just bought a pistol to protect himself because he was informed by the law that he should have to look after himself but obviously he never got to use it. If he looked around a little bit closer I think he would have gotten around to using it."
And while police investigate, back in the neighborhood they tried to regain a sense normalcy by washing away the blood. And while they wash the stains away, for this Ebony Street community, something in their minds will always stay to remind them of the brazen-ness of this mid morning execution on a crowded street.
Police recovered no expended shells from the scene and believed a.38 revolver was used.
