Residents in the close-knit Colleton, St Peter community are still reeling in shock after the discovery of the body of an elderly neighbour.
Bradshaw said Howell, a returning national from the United Kingdom, lived alone and had no known relatives on the island. His wife reportedly passed away some four years ago after a battle with dementia. Howell was described as a good, helpful and friendly neighbour who would share any of the produce that he reaped from his kitchen garden with other neighbours.
“He did have a wound on his leg that he was complaining for. I didn’t realise the extent of it til I saw the bandages when I went there the morning … I don’t know if anything was plaguing him but my mum would talk to him frequently on the phone, plus she saw him up to Thursday but I don’t think anybody who heard of this had any kind of knowledge it was coming,” she stressed.
“If it was a case of him planning this, he would have known he would be found and found at least the next day because he brought some coconut for her on Thursday and brought it for her to bake. He knows when she bakes she sends and if she sends and we don’t hear him it’s going to make us check.”
There were no reports of hearing any gunshots between Friday evening when Howell was last seen, and Saturday afternoon when he was found. And Bradshaw reiterated the need for neighbours to be neighbourly.
“You can probably be more vigilant about, especially elderly or people who live alone, probably pay more attention to their habits, making sure you see them every once in a while and call them. It is a puzzle that it occurred and no signs were picked up by anyone that saw him. I can’t say that anyone would have done better or do better in the future but probably being more involved because it could have been worse. If we didn’t have that kind of relationship or know of his patterns it could have taken days before anyone would have found him,” Bradshaw added as she noted that Howell would be missed.
The BPS said that investigations into the death are ongoing. (KC)