Pastor’s headless body found in bushes

The Lucea police in Hanover have commenced an investigation surrounding the death of a minister of religion, whose headless body was discovered along a dirt track at New Town district, in Sandy Bay on Monday morning.

He has been identified as 40-year-old Kenniffe Andre Reid, from Westmoreland. Police report that Reid was last seen alive in New Town about 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, after he left the home of a church sister to clear some land on which he intended to build a house.

Later that afternoon, the woman got curious after he did not return, and she went and made a report to the Sandy Bay police, who informed her that they could not do much until after 24 hours had passed.

About 8 a.m. on Monday, the woman organised a search party and found the pastor's bag, a machete and his water bottle in bushes. About 30 minutes later, Reid's headless body was disovered along a dirt track in bushes. The police were summoned and upon arrival, the scene was processed and the body removed to the morgue. Up to press time, the head had not been found. Reid's widow Latoya said she last spoke to her husband on Friday by phone.

"He informed me that he was going to travel to the community to attend to the land," she said. "My husband was a very kind, loving and friendly person, and up to now I still cannot believe that he is gone, and especially in such a manner." Reverend Greville Rowe, pastor of the Faith Anchor Ministries in Hopewell, Hanover, told THE STAR that knew Reid from 2010.

"Pastor Reid is a very outspoken person and very godly, and it comes as a shock to hear that there are persons out there who would readily attack a minister of religion, much less chop off his head," Rowe said. "Reid has been visiting my church for some time now, and I have gotten to know him very well."