Two weeks before his engagement to his girlfriend Nikita Wolfe, Iam Joseph was gunned down in front of his Gasparillo home on Friday evening.
Wolfe and Joseph were expected to get married next June and had planned their engagement party for December 11. Even though the murder occurred around 6.25 pm, police were hard pressed to find witnesses.
Police believe Joseph, 29, was at his home when he had an argument with someone who pulled out a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and shot him two times about the body. Joseph ran out into the yard and collapsed. He was found lying in a pool of blood by a neighbour.
In an interview, Wolfe said she found it surprising that nobody saw or heard the gunshots. “His house is surrounded by neighbours. How is it nobody helped him? How is it nobody saw or heard anything? He died because he lost too much blood. If the neighbours came to help, he would have been alive today,” Wolfe cried. She said Joseph’s mother, Madonna, arrived a short while later and saw him lying on his right side, clad in a red jersey and black shorts. He had a gunshot wound to the right side of his neck and on his right hand.
Wolfe said she was looking forward to married life with Joseph and her four children. “He knew the house was small so he was extending it to accommodate the children. We planned to get engaged for his birthday and after posting banns, we would have gotten married in June for my birthday,” Wolfe added.
Mom wants justice
for son’s murder
Meanwhile, Madonna called for justice. “I want to get justice for the death of my son. Whosoever did this to my son, the Father will deal with them according to their works.” She said Joseph, a “jack of all trades,” had no enemies.
“I spoke to him on Wednesday and he told me he was bringing back some carailli for me,” Madonna said. She said two years ago, she gave Joseph a lot of rented land and told him to build his house.
His sister Darlene Baptiste said Joseph had dreadlocks and on Tuesday he called her to twist his locks. She said Joseph planned to purchase a car and was looking forward to his engagement.
Joseph’s body was viewed by District Medical Officer Dr Klem Ragobar who ordered it be removed to the Forensic Science Centre.
Police officers led by Supt Phillip, Insp Pooran, ASP Ramdeo and Sgt Mc Intosh visited the scene. Police believe that Joseph’s murder could be linked to the shooting of Kevin Applewhite, 30, of Johnson Street, who was shot in his groin while liming at Lumsden Recreation Ground on Thursday.
Anyone with information on the shootings can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-TIPS.