Global Black Voices: News from around the World
- Investigators probing suspected rape of Lida Lewis, and possible link to an earlier incident at her property; police have not confirmed the sexual assault.
- Police have taken at least four males of interest into custody; a post mortem is scheduled to determine cause of death.
- The killing adds to a growing homicide wave in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, intensifying a security crisis despite crackdowns on illegal firearms.
Peruvian Vale murder investigations have been launched by the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force following the discovery of the motionless body of 84-year-old farmer Lida Lewis.
Officers responded to a report for assistance in the Peruvian Vale area at approximately 12:50 p.m. on Thursday, July 2, 2026, eventually locating Ms. Lewis in an area she was known to frequent.
Reports of Lewis death was first published by CIBS online news. According to the online publication, Lewis is believed to have been raped, police have yet to officially confirm that detail. Investigators are also currently looking into whether the murder is connected to a separate incident that occurred at her property prior to the killing.
St Vincent Times understands that Lewis had place a call to the police prior to her death indicating that several males were raiding her coconut tress.
Although the body was pronounced dead at the scene and a post-mortem examination is scheduled to determine the exact cause of death, police have already taken at least four males of interest into custody.
This latest death contributes to a significant homicide wave in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which recorded its 21st homicide of the year just one day prior on July 1.
That incident involved the fatal shooting of 49-year-old Gayron “Gale” Jackson in Mount Young, who was ambushed by unidentified gunmen while traveling to the mountains.
The violence has created a “growing security crisis” on the island, extending to areas like Canouan, where 37-year-old Daniel Vettrino was killed in a hail of gunfire on June 24, 2026.
The Diamond community has also been severely impacted, seeing multiple fatalities including the shooting of shopkeeper Winston ‘Zeke’ Williams in March and the stabbing death of a 60-year-old pastor in May.
While law enforcement has attempted to curb the violence through crackdowns on illegal firearms and narcotics, the homicide toll continues to rise, often involving increasingly young offenders. The police force remains under intense pressure to restore safety as these violent events continue to plague the embattled island.
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