A man was beaten to death inside his home on Thursday night and police say the killer is the son in law of the victim's common-law wife. And while the murder is one thing, the motive is another. Witnesses say 50-year-old Conuto Morris Tillet was killed because he allegedly accused 30-year-old John Williams of stealing $50. It's a story with a few twists and turns and our coverage begins on Tibruce Street in the Lake Independence area.
Joyce Ramirez, Common-law wife of Deceased
"My life will never be the same."
Joyce Ramirez says her life will never be the same after her common-law husband of three years Conuti Mauricio Velasquez Tillet was killed in front of her - right here inside her home on Tibruce Street on Thursday night. The man allegedly responsible is Joyce's son in law John Williams. John and Mauricio got into a fight after Mauricio accused him of stealing $50 dollars. Joyce says the argument escalated quickly.
Joyce Ramirez,
"He said John took the money and then John told him he didn't take any
money out of his pockets. And then the evening, nearly closing to dark, I saw the man went into the room, he was already in his bed laying down, and he went into the room and he took out a hammer from out of the room and I saw him starting to struggle with one of the neighbor with a hammer. And we took away the hammer from the man and then when I looked I saw him go into the room. I thought he went to get a edge tool, because he likes to deal with edge tools, and same way he went to get the edge tool. In the room it looked like John knocked him out with a piece of stick. That is what I saw. I couldn't do anything because I have this little baby here and this baby is sick and they were struggling. This little girl can't walk, she can't do anything for herself and I didn't want them to jump on top of her."
Keith Swift Reporting,
So John knocked Maurice with the…
Joyce Ramirez,
"He knocked him with a piece of stick, I don't know how many times and I don't know what size stick he knocked him with because it happened so fast that I didn't even realize that that had taken place. I didn't know he got hit in his head."
Mauricio Tillet was hit twice to the head with a two by four - once to the front and once to the back. He apparently died almost instantly.
Joyce Ramirez,
"I was getting a taxi to take him to the hospital but when I looked I didn't see any movement. I tried to put alcohol at his nose and a little blood was coming from him and I wiped it with a piece of cloth and I didn't see any heart beating. I didn't see him move or nothing. I held his hands and everything and I didn't see anything. And then afterwards somebody called the police and the police came and I told the police I don't think he is dead and to please tell me he is not dead. And he said yes, he is gone already."
Joyce Ramirez now laments the loss of the common-law husband she has lived with for the past three years. She says Mauricio was drinking heavily but still believes his tragic death could have been prevented if John, who lives in the same yard as her, had simply walked away.
Joyce Ramirez,
"If John knew he didn't take this man's money, he should have walked away. He didn't have to end up like this…with a murder in my house. I am with this Velasquez for over three years and he is my breadwinner. Doesn't matter if it is a small money he gets from chopping a yard, I still get. Even if it is a small money I get it because he came and he gave me thirty dollars. I didn't have any gas and I bought my gas out of the money I got from him and I bought something to drink tea with."
And while Joyce Ramirez mourns on Tibruce Street, on Lakeview Street Mauricio Tillet's family says the grief over the loss of their brother has been compounded because they haven't been able to get answers about his death from Joyce Ramirez. Jocelyn Tillet is Mauricio's younger sister.
Joyce Ramirez, Sister of Deceased
"At least she could have the decency and come and tell us what really happened because he is not a dog, he has his family. He wanted to live that kind of life back there. He chose that life back there with them because he didn't have to live that life which he was living with them back there. But at least they could have come and said something. He is already dead and he can't tell us what really happened to him and right now they are covering up a lot of things."
But Kenny Eligio who lived in the yard with both Mauricio Tillet and John Williams says the reason why the Tillet family hasn't gotten any answers is because they probably haven't cared to listen. He says he lost two friends in one night.
Kenny Eligio,
"We give our regards to the family and all kind of thing. We would want to explain the matter to them but it would be much more easier if they didn't come violent because we are not on those timings. I wasn't here when the man died but I came back and I found him dead and I called the mobile and I don't like it either. All I got to tell the family is I give my regards to them right. They said not to show up to the funeral, I will do them the favor and I will keep from their funeral."
John Williams was this morning arraigned in Magistrate's Court on a charge of murder. He was denied bail and remanded to the Hattieville Prison. A post mortem was conducted on Conuto Tillet this afternoon.
