In just a month and a half, there have been four murders in Ladyville village. That's a lot for any population centre, and almost unheard of for a village. And what makes the most recent killing even more outrageous is that the victim is 72 year old, and police believe that he was ambushed, robbed and murdered by a younger person ruthlessly preying on a mostly defenseless older man. 7NEWS was the first on the scene yesterday and today our reporter Jacqueline Godwin returned to find law enforcement officers and a forensic team who had been at the site since seven this morning.
Cpl. Samuel Bonilla, Ladyville Police
"About 4:20 this afternoon we got information of a person lying down on the ground inside his yard on Mamie Street in Ladyville. As a result we proceeded to the area and on our arrival we found Mr. Alden Reed, 72 years old, lying face down on the ground with stab wounds to his body, apparently dead."
Jacqueline Godwin,
Judging from how the body looked, when do you believe he may have been killed?
Cpl. Samuel Bonilla,
"We have witnesses that we have already spoken to who say he was alive on Saturday. Saturday was the last time he was seen alive."
It took Ladyville Police and the forensic teamaround two hours to collect bags of evidence and conduct a post mortem on the body of seventy two year old Alden Reid better known as "Goldfinger." The elderly resident of Mamie Road was found after four on Monday evening. The decomposed corpse was lying faced up on the ground in his yard. It is believed the body had been there since three days ago. It bore multiple stab wounds and a white electrical wire was partially around the neck.
Cpl. Samuel Bonilla,
"So far we have 14 stab wounds that were found on the body of Mr.
Reid. He also had ligature marks on the lower part of the front portion of the neck."
Jacqueline Godwin,
Suggesting?
Cpl. Samuel Bonilla,
"Suggesting he may have been stabbed to death."
According to an area resident, who did not wish to appear on camera, the last time Reid was seen alive was around eight forty five on Saturday night. He had just received a bag of food and left on his bicycle. It is believed that as Reid entered his property he was attacked and murdered.
The bag of food was found still on the bike's handle bars. It had not been touched. Sana Mortis believes her father's killer was waiting for him and he was ambushed shortly after entering the yard and then killed.
Sana Mortis, Daughter of murder victim
"Could have been, could have been because he was getting ready to go in for the night and have supper and while going to his house. I guess the attack took place against the fence side, somebody jumped the lower part of the fence to come over. The bag of stuff, the bread and stuff that he brought home for supper was still on the bicycle. The bicycle leaned up against the dog house you know and when I went in there this morning to identify the body, he was leaned up, he was on the ground the fence side there."
Cpl. Samuel Bonilla,
"I would say that the person went inside the property of Mr. Reid with no permission. They may have known the ways and means to get inside his property."
The police also found Reid's wallet next to his body. The sixty dollars that he was given earlier that night was gone including a firearm. The killer also broke into his victim's house and then ransacked the bedroom by going through everything.
Sana Mortis,
"I heard he had a licensed thirty eight and that was not recovered. So it may very well be robbery. It may be a revenge thing. I do not know. Whatever it is, I hope that they bring the people to justice."
Cpl. Samuel Bonilla,
"It does suggest robbery and it also suggest that there was a burglary because his house was ransacked inside."
But was robbery the motive and why would anyone want to kill Alden Reid. Those who knew him say Reid, who had connections to the underworld, had recently changed his life and only three months ago was baptized into the Seventh Day Adventist Church where he regularly attended service next door to where he lived.
John Frazer, First Elder - 7th Day Adventist Church, Ladyville
"We know that we are living in the last days and we have trouble here. The devil is working very hard at this time and he is attacking anyone who try to change their lives."
Sana Mortis,
"It could be a long time beef or maybe he made some enemies along the way. I am not sure but to me, I think it is still senseless. He is seventy two. How could he really defend himself. It really does not make any sense."
Ladyville police say they are also investigating reports that the victim's life had recently been threatened. The case lead investigator and the officer in charge of Ladyville Crimes Investigation Corporal Samuel Bonilla says at this time they have no suspects.
Cpl Samuel Bonilla,
"No leads as yet. The investigation is still young and we are conducting an investigation as we speak."
Sana Mortis,
"And if the police really find anybody who do it then I would like to press charges cause it does not make any sense. He cannot help himself. He lives by himself. They never need to do that."
Alden Reid's body was discovered by a concerned area resident who had gone to the house to deliver food. For 7 NEWS _Jacqueline Godwin.
A post mortem confirmed that Reid died from multiple stab wounds to the neck back and upper limbs. As we noted at the top of the story, there have been four murders since mid-October - and so far none have resulted in arrests. But from the looks of things, it's not for want of effort; it's for want of resources. 7NEWS is reliably informed that the entire formation only has one vehicle assigned to it. That's not much at all and not hardly enough for a formation that has to cover all that area from Ladyville area up to mile thirty six on the Northern Highway.
