STEER TOWN, St. Ann:
TAXI OPERATOR Linval Watkis, 36, was slain by gunmen Sunday night during an apparent robbery attempt.
Watkis, also called "Dowla", of Steer Town, was found in Mammee Bay at about 11:20 p.m. by a motorist who alerted the police.
The taxi operator's grey Toyota Corolla Station Wagon, with blood stains splattered all over the front seat, was found crashed into a utility pole some 20 metres from where the body was seen. He was taken to the St. Ann's Bay Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigating Officer Detective Corporal Linton Bailey said the police theorised that the killing could have resulted from an attempted robbery. He said the body had gunshot wounds to the left hip, left shoulder and left side of the neck.
Corporal Bailey said the police believe Watkis crashed the car in an attempt to foil the robbery and that he was shot both inside the car and outside on the road.
The St. Ann's Bay police are also investigating the theft of a white Toyota Corolla motor car they now have in their custody.
The car, licensed 7121 DM, was reportedly stolen from its owner in Rosemount, St. Catherine on Sunday night. The car was found about 8:30 a.m. on Sunday in bushes on the Chalky Hill main road in St. Ann. The police said the vehicle was abandoned after it met in an accident.
