Man suspected of attacking elderly woman released from prison in March | News

A man suspected of attacking an elderly woman who died during a home invasion at the weekend was released from prison in March, Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander said yesterday.

At a news conference at police headquarters in Nassau, Fernander told reporters that officers were able to obtain security camera footage showing the suspect at a restaurant and bar in the area where the attack occurred, before the victim arrived home on Friday.

In the footage, the 25-year-old suspect, a resident of Boat Alley, is seen shirtless and not wearing shoes. Fernander added that he appeared to be on drugs.

Fernander said victim Vernencha Butler, 72, was dropped off at her home in Ross Corner by relatives after attending a birthday dinner around 11pm on Friday.

Police said the suspect entered his home after a while and entered through the living room window.

“Officers conducted some investigation in that area and were able to obtain video footage from a local restaurant and bar in the general area of ​​the suspect taken just prior to the deceased arriving at the home,” Fernander said.

“He was seen naked with other people in front of that business, wearing only one (pair) of trousers and no shoes. It looks like he’s on some drugs; Video footage right now tells and shows us this. It is known to us. He was released from prison in March this year on charges of vagrancy and theft.”

Fernander said the man helped police with the investigation and showed them how he got into the house.

The victim’s son and grandson arrived at the house around 3 a.m. Saturday and noticed that the sliding door, which they normally kept open when they were out, was locked.

Relatives pulled the bolt and entered the house, where they caught the attacker, who was naked, in Butler’s bedroom.

“When they entered the apartment and realized their mother was lying naked on the floor, they had a direct view into the room,” Fernander said.

“(He) seemed unresponsive. “They also discovered a naked male sitting on the bed.”

An argument ensued that led to the victim’s relatives “giving the suspect a good beating,” Fernander said.

He said that they were able to warn the next door neighbor who notified the police, and the police were able to intervene quickly and arrest the suspect.

The suspect was taken to Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) for treatment.

Police had previously announced that they were investigating the incident as a murder, but Fernander said yesterday that the cause of the woman’s death had not been determined.

“During the examination of the deceased… no injuries were detected on the deceased,” he said.

“An autopsy is currently being performed and it is very important to determine the cause of death. This matter is being actively investigated and the autopsy will tell us a lot to move forward in this matter.”

Fernander said he instructed officers to fast track the physical evidence collected in this case, as well as evidence from the recent killing of 12-year-old Adriel Moxey, and send it to an overseas forensics laboratory.

Given the recent attacks, Fernander was asked what message he had for angry and fearful citizens.

He called on citizens to be aware of their surroundings and to contact the police if they see anything suspicious.

“If you see something, tell me,” he said.

“This is very important and during these investigations we found that some people saw things but ignored them or were unable to reach the police.”

Butler was a seamstress and mother of three who had recently recovered from cancer, according to her nephew, Sherwin Johnson.