One man is in Police custody in connection with the stabbing death of 27 year old Avandale Baptiste Junior of Mero.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Richmond Valentine said police are conducting investigations into the circumstances surrounding the alleged stabbing death which took place at 9 am on Monday 29th July 2019.
The Assistant Commissioner said that at the time of the incident, Baptiste was in close proximity to his vehicle which was parked on the village road in Mero when his cousin, Javeed Shillingford, approached him and allegedly stabbed him.
He said Baptiste was transported to the Accident and Emergency Department of the Princess Margaret Hospital where he succumbed to his injury and was pronounced dead by doctors on duty.
The body was transported to Gentle Rest funeral home.
Javeed Shillingford remains in custody as investigations continue into the matter.
Meanwhile, United Workers Party (UWP) candidate for the Joseph constituency, Monelle Williams said the community of St.Joseph and Mero has lost a soldier and an amazing young man.
“We have lost a soldier in the community and in the western hamlets of the St.Joseph constituency. He was an amazing young man and I want to take time now to express my sincerest condolences to the family of Avandale Baptiste, A father, he was a big brother, a friend to many and maybe to all,” Williams sated.
Williams is calling on the young men who are engaged in these kinds of activities to find better solutions to their problems and stop the violence.
“I just want to appeal this afternoon, to our young men in particular, to find better solutions to their problems. We are a hurting country, it’s not just the killed who hurt; the killers family hurt as well and we just appealing to every single individual, particularly to our young men. I can not say this enough how important it is that our young men are engaged in more constructive activities,” she stressed.
She said Avandale Baptiste was a vocal young man and a community man.
“He was a community man, maybe one of the first young men to form a group post Maria to initiate Mero Beach clean up and so I know the Mero Improvement Committee have lost a great person in the person of Avandale Baptiste and just the community on a whole – just a vocal young man, always about his business, a hustler, a fisherman, a farmer,” she stated.
Williams said that everyone is in shock as there was no encounter, no fight and no argument.
“Just one young man stabbed and staggering, his blood just running out of his body. It wasn’t in response to anything from what I understand. Nobody saw it coming and I cannot say what went through the other person’s head to initiate such an action,” she lamented.
I dislike capital punishment but I think that the only way to stop this kind of vicious behavior when people think of taking someone’s life as the first response to a dispute is to reinstate capital punishment.
I lost another close high school friend, this time it wasn’t a natural death but rather cause someone wanted to play bad. Now I can’t go mero and laugh with you no more. R.I.P BRO
My friend from high school 😭😭😭
I am totally in agreement that capital punishment should be introduced. The whole country is guilty and, I am of the opinion that,lark of proper home training,respect to oneself and others and manners are playing apart in these homicide.telling a five year old boy he a man and a ten year girl she is a woman ,its like throwing them in the deep blue sea. Manner of approach can make a lot of difference. The answer to all this is to read the Holy Bible
His cousin. So it has to be very close relative. Two brothers children, two sisters children or brother and sister children. Yet one was killed by the other. When family structure is deteriorating people do not recognize each other as relatives. Therefore, you are now a total stranger to your aunt children. There is nothing in the heart.
This one really HURT me. When you hear events like community cleaning and enhancements going on in Mero, just know Avandale is in the middle of it. He always use to post Mero clean ups and updates and when they gonna do stuff in the community. Baby Avandie, I pray you grow up knowing how much your daddy deeply loved you!! I begging the system to PLEASE make a sample of the guy who did this! We lost a positive young man in our community. RIP.
That’s something that many of you,who claim that Dominica is a christian nation,need to pay close attention too:
NUMBERS 35:33 So you shall not pollute the land wherein you are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein but by the blood of him that shed it .
The person that is murdered his blood defiles the land and the only thing that can cleanse that stain off the land is the murderer’s blood. He or she has got to be put to death to cleanse the land. JAHOVAH spoke about that long before HE gave the 10 commandments.
Man behaves like he knows better that the one who created him. It’s no wonder we’er in all this mess
Just last week I posted on here the crime situation is going to get worse in Dca before it gets better. I was supported by the very same Dr. Peter St.Jean who actually predicted the same during discussions with Matt et al.
Rest In Eternal Peace comrade. To the family deepest sympathies and stay strong.
Reinstate capital punishment. Jail time for the elligal use of firearms.
RIP Avandale, words can not express my feelings, the last time I saw you was on the 29th of June, told you goodbye see you in July, not knowing it was the last day. You will be missed by many courage to the entire family we go through these sad time. Anne Shillingford
As stated by monelle Williams, our youth need to find another way to solve problems. Let us sit and talk like men and find solutions in a non violent manner. Let us reengage our old African proved, it takes the village to raise a child.
Sad news for the community, however every coin has two sides. Mr Baptiste may his soul rest in peace had both his good and bad side. Yes he was involved in the community and did do a lot of work after Hurricane Maria which went unnoticed until now, unfortunately he was a menace to some individuals, including the person who stabbed him. Persons may not know that Mr Shillingford was being harassed on a daily basis.
So , but is that justification to kill though. And did Mr Shillingford ever reported being constantly harassed by the victim to the police?
Who are u and where u from with that bull …. talk? Avandale was troubling javeed. . all u just like to talk ….. When he try to kill the three other family member , what they did to him . the man want to kill family and he didn’t just that. .. Let me to there before that person get me vex this morning.
Who are you and where do you live? since when he was a menace him, I live in Mero, please correct yr mistake.
Very sad,the young men in our country needs to find productive ways,always a killing and this is a stain on our communties,Rest in Peace young man,and to the families,this is an opportunity to unite each other,