May Pen watchman beaten to death

Homicide investigators were kept busy late Monday night as they combed through evidence relating to the gruesome murder of a 52-year-old watchman, who police said was bludgeoned to death.

Herman Howe, known also as 'Shorty' from Zion Avenue in the Seven Road area of May Pen, Clarendon, was found dead with his head bashed in at the rear of the Bargain Village Plaza just after 10 p.m. Monday in May Pen.

The police are reporting that the gruesome discovery was made after the watchman's daughter took dinner to him. However, he was nowhere to be found, and an alarm was raised. During a search, Howe's body was discovered.

preliminary investigation

"It is the norm for Mr Howe to report to work by 7 nightly, and a daughter of his went to check on him, but was unable to find him. She went searching for him and found him dead, lying in a pool of blood and she summoned the police," an investigator told a Star news team.

"So far, we haven't established a motive for this incident, but from preliminary investigation, he was beaten by a blunt object to the head and died on the spot," the investigator added.

Howe's daughter, Marcia, explained the circumstances leading up to her finding her father's body. "Me go the town last night and I said I am gonna carry chicken for him. So when I go around to his workplace me see the gate open and I can't find him. Me start search all over for him and that's how me find him ... dead," the distressed daughter told THE STAR.