Sickly senior citizen devastated by son’s killing

Lillian Ray, 73, who recently suffered a stroke, is now struggling to come to terms with the stabbing death of her son, 55-year-old Calvin 'Jeggay' James, in Portland on December 31.

James was reportedly stabbed to death last Friday in a gambling spot. Ricardo Downer, 32, otherwise called 'Peng', a construction worker of Halls Avenue, Port Antonio, has been charged with murder. Reports from the Port Antonio police are that about 11 p.m., Downer and James had an argument when it is alleged that Downer used a knife to stab James in the abdomen. James was rushed to the Port Antonio Hospital but he was pronounced deal on arrival.

At the family home on Tuesday, THE STAR observed that James' relatives were in a sombre mood.

"When mi hear say Calvin get kill, is like mi tun fool. Mi just numb and mi feel like part a mi gone, "said Ray, who was plucking ackees in her yard at Janga Gully.

"Him left here Thursday night and the next thing me hear say dem stab him up a Free School (Halls Avenue). Him very helpful and him use to help out a lot of people inna di area. One a mi son gone. Him nuh deserve dat at all. We nuh have no money fi do nuh funeral and any help we can get woulda good. I have seven sons, and now one a dem dead," she added.

James' brother Don, who is a taxi driver, told THE STAR that he is very concerned about his mother's health, as she suffered a stroke last year and is not coping well with the untimely passing of her son.

"Boy it really tough and the family shake up bad. Christmas time is a time when family and friends group up together and have fun, but instead we are killing people in Portland," he said.

A candlelight service to celebrate James' life will be held on Saturday at Janga Gully Road.