Murder suspect shot dead

February 23, 2021

The St Ann police are closing in on a suspect who shot and killed a man last Saturday, who himself was a suspect in the murder of a Chinese businessman in St Ann more than three years ago.

Leabert Piper, a vendor of Philadelphia district in the parish, was shot and killed sometime after 6 p.m. in his community.

Police reports are that residents heard explosions coming from a section of the community and summoned the police who, upon arrival, found Piper lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the upper body. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

10 murders

Piper, along with four other suspects, was charged with murder following the shooting death of Teng Fei Cheng in Brown's Town in February 2018. He was out on bail at the time of his death.

Cheng was shot dead as he sat in his vehicle at his business place. Piper's death brings to nine the number of murders committed in St Ann since the start of the year. There were 10 murders for the corresponding period last year.

On Monday, Superintendent Dwight Powell, who is in charge of the St Ann Police Division, said that a prime suspect in Piper's murder is under the microscope.

"There is a prime suspect. When we find him, we will be able to solve it (the case)," Powell said. He said information about the suspect would soon be placed in the public domain to garner assistance in apprehending him.

Meanwhile, the case involving the other four suspects charged with the murder of the Chinese national is before the court.

Other News Stories