The last murder we reported on was Friday, January 27th, when the body of 27-year-old Akeem Augustine's dismembered body was found in the Jane Usher area. That was exactly two weeks ago, and since then it's been quiet in the country - and particularly in the city.
But that murder-free streak ended early this morning, when a Lord's Bank resident was viciously chopped and left for dead on the side of the road.
26-year-old Alburn Rivero was a man who kept to himself, so his family was left shocked and distraught after they learned about his murder. Up to this morning, they had no idea why he was targeted.
Courtney Menzies headed to Ladyville today to learn more. Here is her story.
The first reported murder of February happened around 12:30 this morning, and the victim has been identified as 26-year-old Alburn Rivero. His body was found here, on the Old Well Road in Ladyville, his blood still staining the dirt street.
He was chopped multiple times while riding his bicycle, and some family members speculate that he'd been taking a shortcut home.
But those same family members are left puzzled because, as far as they know, Rivero was a quiet person who troubled no one. He hung out almost everyday near a store in Lord's Bank, and we spoke to one of the last people to see him alive.
Voice of: Leon Gordon, Friend of Deceased
"I know the man through his dad or his dad's father in law. So I didn't know him to any extent until I learnt his name was Alburn, I called him Alburn or Burnzy. So I get to know the man so me and the man just penetrate through life. We go through our ups and downs and thing but he never pushed me to no extent, to that extent there, between me and he."
Courtney Menzies:
"How often did you guys hang out?"
Voice of: Leon Gordon, Friend of Deceased
"Every minute or everyday. Like yesterday, like the hours like right now, me and home boy bun a weed right over there."
"I already went to sleep last night in a rough fashion, then before 5:00 I done wake up, then before 5:00 or at 5:00, my girl's brother, my bra lee, come beat on my door side, my house wide, or the window that he knows I'm asleep, and tell me my bredrin down. Your bredrin down, your shotgun. That's about 5 or so, so I jump up, still half black up, in undershirt, boxers, and the hail my bra lee like, what do you mean, what are you telling me? I already was sleeping, me and my woman didn't feel good, we already had a dispute last night, then I woke up this morning with another man telling me about another thing. Then I asked the man, what gone on? He said, your bredrin, your shotgun down, Burnzy. That still has me retarded right now."
Courtney Menzies:
"And he never told you that he was any problems or anything?"
Voice of: Leon Gordon, Friend of Deceased
"No ma'am, no day no time. When we come through, we bun a little weed, if we have money like that, shub out a little five and ting, just a little ghetto youth, a little youth that I know, they call me like their advisor."
"He was a cool guy and honest and free handed. He's here sometimes. I get to understand when I hear the news, when me and my girl got up and she start quarrel with me again, and my daughter and my son, when I go to Placencia to work for like a two weeks, I don't leave money with them, or leave money at home for them to maintain themselves. So when I wake up this morning, I heard that, and my girl and my daughter said, well, daddy when you aren't here, that man look out for us. I didn't know, but then, yes m maybe I know, but all I could tell you the man was cool, a youth, he hasn't reached anywhere in his life, so he was cool. What dust he was kicked, I don't know, for him to get into those kinds of situation."
Rivero reportedly leaves behind a girlfriend, and several children.
