Tonight, three families in Hattieville are mourning the loss of their father, son, brother and friend, Leroy Mckoy Fuller. The 51 year old was found buried in a shallow grave just yards from his home around 8:30 this morning.
That crime scene was an extremely live one today as the cops conducted operations right off the nation's busiest highway.
7News was on the scene waiting for a positive I.D. on Fuller, and that's when Cherisse Halsall spoke to his mother. Here's that story:
Police were scouring the area at Mile 15 today looking for clues after a shallow grave was found near the Hector Creek bridge near Hattieville.
And not too long after, they were joined by several families all of whom are searching for missing loved ones. They stood transfixed and petrified hoping that the body brought out wouldn't be identified as their relative.
But the mother of the deceased wasn't on that scene. We found her sitting in the rubble of what hurricane Lisa left of her house, but she was already convinced that the man buried in that shallow grave was indeed her son, Leroy McKoy Fuller.
Radiance Mckoy, Mother Of The Deceased
"I heard bam, one bullet and the next day they can't find my son."
"Well you know what happened Timba goes over the bridge because he smokes crack. He borrowed my son's bike Monday night and he brought it back and when he done smoke he went back again and right there they dodged him and they shot him."
And this morning when the grave was discovered a remnant of "Timba's" wardrobe was found nearby.
Radiance Mckoy, Mother Of The Deceased
"They see a grave through the cutoff there and when they went to dig up they saw that it must be him because they saw his slippers right and they saw a little drop of blood."
"Timba Works, Timba noh thief nobody all that he does is hustle and he doesn't go anywhere only go buy his crack and come back."
"Two nights now, you hear where he had a big laughing at the back there, big laughing because the crack was in him now, you see but he works, he is a working piece of black man, you hear I tell you, that boy there is black like Timba but he could work."
"I don't know what they killed him for, he no do nobody nothing as you and. Somebody argue, he and somebody argue, bye, and he gone, bye he doesn't want any more arguing bye bye."
But Mckoy said one person that will miss her son, perhaps, as much as she will is their lifelong neighbor Miss Pearl. She had plans to include Timba in her Christmas celebrations.
Pearl Spain, Neighbour
"But my question is who would want to kill Leroy Fuller? Who would like to kill him. He is just a fun person always running joke, you understand. Who would want to kill him?"
"Monday night, was the. Last night I saw him. He was at my house until about after 8 and I tell you he was just giving me jokes. That boy was just making us laugh, he was just making us laugh. He said I'm going home now and I told him Timba, I want you to promise me one thing. I said I want you to go home and please please Timba don't go back over the bridge. He said I will do that."
Now, these women who have already endured one loss are calling on the police department to bring some security back to their neighbourhood.
Radiance Mckoy, Mother Of The Deceased
"That bridge there is a dangerous bridge when you hear night is coming, come in because it's right there they dodge you and kill you."
"Look here these people in Hattiville don't want anything, they put lights there two different times and these guys just shot it down with slingshot. You know but I would want Mr Chester put back this checkpoint here for me because you have some little young guys who are trailing you with guns at night time."
Pearl Spain, Neighbor
"I tell you when that police booth was there I was feeling so safe and when my children called me and told me that the booth was gone I said oh my goodness, I don't like it I really would want Chester to look into it and put back that booth there you understand, put some policemen back there."
Fuller leaves behind 4 children, a 26-year old daughter and three young sons.
