Former Magnum contestant killed

An up-and-coming artiste died yesterday following a stabbing incident close to his home in Hamilton Gardens, Portmore, St Catherine.

The deceased, Durmaim Carson, 36, affectionately called 'Willy' or 'Carson Fyah', was a contestant in the 2018 edition of the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall competition.

THE STAR understands that about 2:30 p.m., Carson allegedly confronted a friend who owed him money. Carson allegedly received a single stab to the heart during a heated verbal exchange. He was running back towards his house when he fell to the ground with his shirt covered in blood. Up to press time, THE STAR could not confirm if the other man had turned himself in to the police.

Carson's spouse, Taneika Thomas, 34, with whom he has a four-year-old daughter and who is also five months pregnant with their second child, told our news team that she now fears for the well-being of her older child who has been crying since the incident.

"She no stop bawl from evening," said Thomas. "I don't think she really understand that he is dead and not coming back, but she is definitely traumatised by the whole incident."

The fateful argument allegedly started because the alleged killer rented a vehicle from Carson but loaned it to another friend who damaged it in a crash. A relative of Carson alleged that the vehicle was later seized by the police but was eventually returned to the family.

"The police said to us that anytime wi finish the work on the car the youth must pay for it. Him agree fi fix it and him say him was going to give us the money today [Monday]," the relative said. The cost to repair the damage was set at $120,000. However, it is alleged that the man refused to pay, and two of his relatives even attacked Carson on Sunday night. The family showed the news team the police report. According to the relative, an upset Carson walked to the man's yard "wid a board inna him hand".

"I don't know what happened, enuh, but dem say the youth stabbed Willy," the relative said.

Thomas said that Carson, who was a past student of Bridgeport High School in Portmore, was making the right steps to better himself for his family.

"Mi no know weh mi ago do. A dis mawnin me and him go out a HEART Academy because him did sign up for plumbing and do the test from last week. Dem call him dis morning and say him must come in for orientation. Me tell him say mi want him fi do it and get certified so that him can get better pay because him do every and likkle thing, enuh, but him love plumbing," she said.

Thomas said that Carson was an excellent father who would do anything to make his children comfortable.

"Him do music mostly cause him love music, but anything for him children a him that. Him try everything, he always say that he was going to build a house for his children," she said.