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Homicide Investigation
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Police have launched a homicide investigation into the death of a 71-year-old man, the second senior citizens to be killed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in less than a week.  

Police said that they are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Irwin Patterson, 71, a watchman, of Layou, which occurred on Nov. 24.

Patterson was employed as a watchman at a quarry in the Mt. Wynne area.

About 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 24, Patterson’s co-worker discovered him face down gasping for breath and summoned the police from the Barrouallie Police Station.

Police officers visited the scene and took Patterson to the Buccament Bay Polyclinic. He was later transferred to the Accident and Emergency Department of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.

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Patterson died at the hospital that same day.

iWitness News understands that he had injuries to the head.

Police are asking persons with information that could be helpful to the investigation to telephone 1784-456-1339, 1784-458-7238 or any police station in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).

Persons can also speak to any police officer and all information will be treated confidentially, police said.

Patterson death marks the 27th homicide in SVG for 2020.

Patterson’s death came two days before the death of Ulric Hutchinson, 83-year-old retired carpenter of Ashton Union, Island, which has been listed as the nation’s 29th homicide this year.

On Saturday, Nov. 28, police charged Sheba Lenisha Charles, a 25-year-old babysitter of Vermont and Union Island with Hutchinson’s murder.

A post-mortem examination concluded that Hutchinson died of strangulation at Union Island on Nov. 26.

Charles has been remanded in custody until March 1, 2021 for the commencement of a preliminary inquiry.