Tashieka Mair, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

No one has been able to give an explanation as to what could have driven a senior citizen to stab a young woman to death before allegedly committing a 'fiery' suicide in the Seavie community in Flankers, St. James, yesterday.

Dead are 25-year-old craft vendor and nail technician Stacy 'Ziggy' Hyman and 52-year-old Selvin Russell-Grey, both of Seaview. According to the Constabulary Communication Network, at about 1 p.m. yesterday Ms. Hyman proceeded to walk through Mr. Russell-Grey's yard when she was told not to walk there. She, however, ignored the warning and Mr. Russell-Grey then stabbed her all over the body.

Hyman cried out and her father came to her rescue but he too was stabbed.

Charred remains

Mr. Russell-Grey then locked himself in his house and set himself ablaze. The Montego Bay Fire Department was summoned and they later extinguished the blaze. The charred remains of Mr. Russell-Grey were removed to the Cornwall Regional Hospital and Ms. Hyman was pronounced dead at the hospital. Her father was taken to the hospital for treatment.

The Coral Gardens police are now investigating the matter and are treating it as murder and suicide.

When The Gleaner visited the scene, a confused Mrs. Edna Hyman, mother of Stacy, said, "I was at church when I get the call that Mr. Russell kill mi daughter."

Motherless boys

Now she will have to take on the responsibility of taking care of three motherless boys, ages five, three and seven months old.

"When I was going to church, I pass her there (pointing to the steps of Stacey's home) and somebody ask her to do their nails," Mrs. Hyman explained. "So she decided to walk through Mr. Russell yard and him tell her not to walk there and I hear seh she just mek a joke talk and she said 'go weh Mr. Russell, a jealous yu jealous true mi a young girl an yu cyan get mi' or something like that."

She went on, "And, him go ina him house fi di knife an a go after har and she an mi lickle granddaughter, who was walking wid har, start run but Stacy drop and him just go over her and stab har up."

When The Gleaner visited Mr. Russell-Grey's home, some tenants were seen packing their belongings in a bid to leave the house.

"From murder tek place yah we cyan stay," one man said. "Mi nu know a what fly up inna Mr. Russell head cause anybody can walk through de yard cause is not like it fence up or anything."

They say Russell-Grey moved to the premises five years ago from Hanover and never spoke much. They said he only went to work and returned home where he stayed mostly indoors.