Police have launched a homicide investigation into the fatal shooting of 52-year-old contractor Marinus Annibaffa in Gadette, Dennery, as relatives and individuals connected to a construction project where he had been working allege that the development had been the source of months of tension and threats.
According to the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF), officers attached to the Richfond Police Station responded to reports of a shooting at approximately 7:30 a.m. on June 12.
Annibaffa was found dead at a property where he had reportedly been engaged in construction work. While community members have suggested a possible connection between the killing and a longstanding dispute surrounding the project, law enforcement authorities have not confirmed any motive and have indicated that investigations remain ongoing.
Speaking anonymously to the media, a client of the deceased contractor described what she said had been a troubled process from the outset of the project, which was intended to provide a home for his mother.
“Since when I decided to make my house for my mother, it was a lot of problem, a lot of threats saying that if we build a house there we’re going to be in problem with them,” he alleged.
According to the client, despite the reported difficulties, construction had recently been progressing well.
“Everything was going well, the man was building the house, everything was good. We did a coup de main last Saturday and this morning they tell me they get the man dead in the house there,” he said.
The man also expressed frustration with what she described as a lack of visible action by law enforcement following the killing.
“I get all those threats and stuff, and I don’t see any response from the police. I don’t see anybody is taking for questioning, nothing like that and they have names,” she claimed.
He further voiced concerns for her personal safety.
“And I’m very concerned about my safety, and I feel like the police service is not doing their job.”
A relative of Annibaffa, who also requested anonymity, similarly alleged that the construction project had been the subject of repeated conflict.
“From the moment that house start building, we have problem, threaten words, everything,” the relative said.
The individual further claimed that the structure had been damaged on more than one occasion during construction.
“They broke down that house twice. When he started to build, they broke it down twice,” the relative alleged.
According to the family member, the project held special significance for the young man who had sought to build the home for his mother.
“That’s the sad thing, you know. Eighteen-year-old trying to help his mother,” the relative said. “From the moment he was at secondary school, he’s trying to help. He said that first thing he will do is build house for his mother because the house wasn’t good.”
Police have not publicly commented on the allegations raised by relatives and associates of the deceased, nor have investigators indicated whether the reported dispute forms part of their inquiries.
Authorities have, however, confirmed that the matter remains under active investigation as officers work to determine the circumstances surrounding Annibaffa’s death.