Only two weeks ago Russell Neal, 58, the caretaker/manager of Lord’s Ridge Cemetery on the Western Highway, was part of a team inspecting the proposed new cemetery site at Mile 13 on the Western Highway.
Today he is dead, the victim of a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Amandala sources say that between 1:00 and 2:00 this morning, Neal was at his residence on Neal Pen Road when a lone gunman rode up and knocked on the window.
Neal “peeped” through and the gunman fired a single shot that caught him in the upper right side of the chest. Neal cried out, “Yu got me!” and then fell back on the floor. He was still conscious and talking, but died en route to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
According to his co-workers at the cemetery, Neal had no enemies and was not a troublemaker. But they strongly believe that an incident occurring on Tuesday afternoon near the cemetery at the junction of Cemetery Road and Partridge Street may have had something to do with his murder nearly twelve hours later.
A longtime employee of Neal’s who preferred to remain anonymous told us that just after 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Russell Neal was visited by a woman with who had children for him. Apparently, the woman was asking for $100 in financial assistance from him, but he only gave her $75.
Infuriated, the woman began a screaming argument with Neal in the presence of Neal’s friends and co-workers. As she stormed down the steps of the building at which the incident took place, Neal followed, and they ended up on the streetside in front of Rosado’s Hardware Store.
The woman mounted a bike and, still cursing, tried to move away. Neal (unintentionally, his co-workers say) gave the bike a shove, and unable to maintain control, the woman crashed into the fence separating Rosado’s from Carter’s Custom Upholstery.
Unconfirmed reports are that the woman was then heard threatening Neal.
Neal reported the matter to police and they visited the area and detained the woman.
A few minutes afterward, Neal’s co-workers spotted two young men, one of slim build and allegedly carrying a firearm, and the other stocky, arriving in the area. They spoke with Neal, who explained what had happened momentarily earlier, and apologized. At that, the bigger man walked away, and the younger one followed.
Neal’s friends allege that the woman frequently comes for money from Neal at his workplace, and generally makes a nuisance of herself.
Neal is survived by his wife, a police sergeant, and four other daughters resident in Belize and the United States.
Family members say that Russell Neal’s death is a shock to all who knew him.
A post-mortem examination is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, following which the date for funeral services will be announced, we were told by his family this evening.