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Awful way to die - Duct tape used to cover mouth and eyes of senior citizen
February 18, 2021
A senior citizen was found dead, apparently as a result of suffocation, after robbers used duct tape to cover his eyes, nose and mouth at his home in Westmoreland.
Residents of Barneyside have been left in shock at the death of Gladstone 'Banny' Morris, who was 62. He was found dead in his house on Tuesday. His hands and feet were also bound with a shoelace.
'It is a sombre mode in the community because this man was a senior person and lawful citizen, somebody who the community looked up to. So for this to happen, it really blow some sort of shock over the community," Superintendent Robert Gordon, commanding officer for the Westmoreland Police Division, told THE STAR.
Reports are that about 8 a.m., citizens saw Morris' Ford truck abandoned in a Hanover community and summoned the police. The Bethel Town police then made checks at his home and the body was discovered. According to Gordon, it appears as though the farmer was robbed.
No signs of forced entry
"I think there was a robbery based on the state in which we found the room. It was ransacked and his F-150 pickup was stolen," he said. "There were no signs of forced entry at his house so we are not sure where it is coming from. There are a number of things we are looking at because the person behind this could be someone that he knows."
Morris' motor vehicle, however, contained a flat-screen television, a fan, a power saw and other personal items.
"The area is quiet so it is sad that something like that could have happened there. It is the violent nature of our society that continues to show out because it could have been a robbery without violence. Not saying taking someone's belongings is right, but when a life is taken along, it amplifies the whole situation," Gordon added.
He said the police are working assiduously to bring the perpetrators to justice.
"Our team has been in the area engaging with members of the community so, hopefully, in short order we can have some concrete evidence," he said.
