Woman killed by neighbor on birthday over monkey

MURDERED: Sharon Burnett inside her shop

FIFTY-THREE year old Sharon Burnett a shop keeper and mother of three was stabbed to death in her shop Monday morning by a neighbor who repeatedly accused her of minding a monkey that has been stealing from his home. The woman was killed on her birthday.

When BIG Smith News Watch arrived on the scene, at approximately 02:30hrs on Monday, we were told that the stabbing incident took place just after midnight and it is believed that the suspect whose name was given as Samuel Cummings was under the influence. He has since been detained.

Warren Burnett, brother of the dead woman explained that he was awaken from his slumber by his nephew-in-law who alerted him that something was wrong.

“I was sleeping and her son-in-law come and called me and said Warren come, Samuel do something to your sister. So I put on a pants and run outside and I saw her lying in front of the shop with a stab wound straight to her stomach and this fridge was on fire”

The torched fridge in the foreground while the shop sit in the background

The woman lived a 47 Graham Street Plaisance while the suspect lives at lot 48. Sharon operated a small shop to the facade of her home on the government reserve and would sometimes sleep inside the shop to prevent it being broken into.

Residents said they are of the view that the suspect set on fire; a fridge that sits outside of the shop in an effort to get his victim to exit the structure as she is not known to come of the shop once she goes in and lock the door.

Her brother related that after he came on the scene, he called the police who responded promptly and arrested the suspect who was still in his yard next door, cursing and behaving disorderly.

“Friday night around eight to eight thirty he came lashing down the counter telling her that she has a monkey that she minding and that is does go into his house and thief things; thief he money and bring it over to our house, my sister don’t have no money that is a strange monkey that does go at everybody house” the brother told BIG Smith News Watch.

Warren said while he was in the Plaisance Market on Saturday he saw the suspect behaving disorderly and even threatening to murder someone. That prompted he, Warren to go him and tell his sister to approach the police make a report. It is unclear if she ever did.

The bereaved brother recalled that his sister and the suspect were very good friends and that the man would even take money to her at times for her to keep for him. He claimed ignorance as to what went wrong between the two that fractured their friendship but he feel it has something to do with the drinking habit of the now murder suspect.

Caution tape erected as police conduct their probe in and around the crime scene

When BIG Smith News Watch arrived at the Scene, crime Scene detectives were still present carrying out their investigations and taking statements from persons as they awaited the arrival of the undertakers to remove the remains of the woman.