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Three months after warning gunshots were fired by someone she knew just outside her Petit Valley home, 29-year-old Melanie Jones was executed yesterday morning moments after arriving home.
A man in his early 50s was said to be in police custody last night assisting Homicide detectives in their investigations.
According to a police report, at about 1.30 am residents of Second Street, Sparrow Drive, Petit Valley heard one gunshot. They later found Jones lying dead on the road. There was a single gunshot wound to the left side of the head.
Police said several of her personal items seemed to have been stolen from her person and inside the house. However, a pair of diamond earrings and a brand new cellphone were left lying on her bed.
Jones was employed with the Community Enhancement Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP).
Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Jones’ aunt, who wished not to be named for her safety, said in February she and Jones were both threatened by the man police had in custody, who was a close relative to Jones’ mother. Jones mother died last October of breast cancer.
The aunt said following her mother’s death and with Christmas “just around the corner,” Jones decided to do some renovations to the property. The man was thus given until January to move out of the house.
“She told the man that he had to move out, but for some strange reason like he did not think that she was serious. But, in February, he came with a gun in his hand and a plastic bag filled with bullets…intimidation thing nah,” Jones’ aunt said.
“Then he started to shout and say allyuh don’t come out eh. After he walked outside we heard three gunshots fire off and with that he drove off,” she added.
The aunt also disclosed that there were several allegations made against the man by her dead niece, including one of a very sensitive nature when she was just 14 years old.
“Back then she had told her mother about it. There are a lot of things that Melanie and even, myself, went through with this individual.”
Jones was described as a friendly person.
“She had no enemies. Everyone in the community and at her work loved her. She was like a gem. It was just she and this man could have never seen eye to eye because of the history,” the aunt said.
“There were attempts to put her name out of the property. Melanie was the only child for her father but her mother had two other children - ages 15 and 16.
“Apparently things got serious when Melanie started to move her things to the downstairs apartment. They made it look like a robbery, but it is more than that.”
The T&T Guardian understands that the man was taken into police custody yesterday around noon. His car was also wrecked and taken to Homicide for processing.
Jones was the 17th woman to be killed for the year so far.
Investigations are continuing.