The Waterloo community of St Catherine was in a sombre mood yesterday as bewildered and traumatised residents and family members stood outside the home of the Wellingtons, a Christian family of three, who were murdered inside their dwelling.
The bloodied bodies of the Wellingtons, 43-year-old Omar, his wife 35-year-old Sharon, and their 16-year-old son Orlando, were bound with their throats cut. There are indications that at least two of the bodies also had gunshot wounds. Wellington worked at an auto parts shop in Spanish Town, while Orlando had just started grade 11 at Innswood High School. Sharon was a cashier at Shoppers Fair in Brunswick. Senior Superintendent of Police Stephanie Lindsay confirmed that Sharon was pregnant.
"Based on information from the residents, and it was obvious that she was pregnant," Lindsay said. The Wellington family's home, a solid structure of concrete and board, stood isolated, much like the neighbouring residences in the vicinity, but not the ability to readily hear a cry for help.
The eerie discovery of the Wellington residence's open door during the early hours of Tuesday, coupled with the unsettling sounds of explosions that were heard sometime after 3 a.m., prompted a concerned individual to alert a relative who ultimately uncovered the grim scene around 5 a.m.
"The investigators so far are trying to get information that could assist them in furthering the investigation. While they are looking at the victims, they are trying to get whatever information they can. They don't have any specific leads at the moment, they are just following some lines of inquiries. They are looking at the crime scene itself trying to get as much information from the scene that could assist them with the investigation. They don't know the motive just yet, it's very early," said Lindsay.
Natanya Carpenter, a 12-year-old cousin who was close to Orlando, says he was always there for her.
"I am just frightened and afraid. I'm going to have flashbacks and it is going to be very hard in school 'cause my classmates will talk about it," said a teary-eyed Natanya.