Ian Matthews found dead in Marlie Gardens

About 5:00 am the body of the 65-year-old Matthews was discovered by residents along Marlie Drive in the community.

The Old Harbour police were called to the scene where investigators noted that the head was bashed in.

Chief investigator at the Old Harbour CIB Detective Inspector Carl Morris told Old Harbour News that based on preliminary investigation it is theorized that Matthews was hit in the head with a stone or some form of solid object.

Between the late 1980s and early 1990s Matthews rose to national fame when he won Champion Farmer at the popular Denbigh Agricultural Show.

But his fame apparently had a negative impact on his personal life which noticeably began to make a gradual decline.

As he battle his struggles Matthews turn to taking drugs and despite many attempts by family and friends at rehabilitation he never recovered, spending much of his later years as a vagrant roaming the streets.

Investigators are treating his death as murder, the fourth committed in the Old Harbour police subdivision since the new year.

Matthews’ death follows that of Michael Spencer, a pastor and businessman, who was killed on Saturday night in the town centre. Some 36 hours before the killing of Spencer, police were summoned to a yard on Marlin Terrace, Old Harbour Glades, where 28-year-old Javaughn Bailey was shot dead.

According to the police about 2:00 am Friday, Bailey and his girlfriend were asleep when a gunman barged into their board dwelling and shot him multiple times. The woman was not hurt during the gun attack. No motive has been determined as yet for Bailey’s murder.

The entire St Catherine South Police Division which encompasses Portmore, Central Village and Old Harbour remains under curfew until 6:00 pm January 23.