Jamaica Gleaner

‘I wanted to do something’

- Mark Titus Gleaner Writer

They told them to lie face down and she was begging and pleading for them not to kill her, but the cold-blooded killer just shot her ... .

WESTERN BUREAU:

IT IS not very often that one is forced to live with the memory of watching the lives of five of your family members being taken, execution style.

Yet, this is the burden being carried by 69year-old Marvin Bloomfield since gunmen invaded his home in March Town, Hanover on the night of October 8, 2015, and killed his wife Lynette, son Mark, daughter Kerian, grandchild­ren Aliah and Davion Mahabee, and close relative, 29-year-old Brian Mangaroo.

Standing with his hands akimbo, Bloomfield stared towards the graves, “It would be 32 years today. It would be 32 years,” he whispered, as if he was speaking to someone in the empty space before him.

Then, as if suddenly rememberin­g that other persons were standing with him, he turned to the Gleaner team and made a profound revelation.

“You are actually here to talk to me today, January 22, the very day we got married 32 years ago,” he said, as memories of his murdered wife caused tears to gather in his eyes. “I could not even go by the grave this morning to say happy anniversar­y, I just sent a text message to her cell phone.”

His attempt to conceal his grief was futile, as tears flowed, partially hidden by the cap he wore. He tried to say something else, but not a word came from his trembling lips, as he stooped down and began rearrangin­g the flowers on his wife’s grave.

STILL IN DANGER

Bloomfield agreed to have his photo taken, after consulting his granddaugh­ters, with the condition that his face is not shown. He is convinced that the lives of the rest of his family are still in danger, especially with only two of the men suspected in the murders in custody.

Bloomfield recalls how his daughter Kerian had just returned from the United States after a two-week vacation and that they had cooked some food, which was shared with community members including one of the alleged perpetrato­rs, who was a close friend to the family.

On the night of the murder, Bloomfield recalled looking on helplessly from a room where he was hiding as the gunmen murdered his beloved wife Lynette and the other family members.

 ??  ?? Marvin Bloomfield tends to flowers at the graves of his family.
Marvin Bloomfield tends to flowers at the graves of his family.

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