Thirty-nine-year-old Germaine Modeste of Bois Patat, Castries, has become the twelfth homicide victim recorded in Saint Lucia for the year.
Modeste succumbed to stab wounds on Thursday evening at the Owen King EU Hospital, just over two hours after the violent incident. Reports indicate that he was allegedly stabbed by a relative.
The attack has left family members and residents of the community in shock as investigations by the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force continue.
An eyewitness who responded to cries for help said he was at home when he heard someone calling out in distress.
“I stay there at my home, chilling out, and then a man called me and shouted, “Help, help, help,” the witness recounted.
He said he rushed to the road where he encountered a violent confrontation involving several individuals and the injured man.
“So, I rush on the road. When I reached the road, I saw a father and two sons…and the man is bleeding,” the witness said.
The witness explained that he attempted to intervene but realized he could not manage the situation alone.
“So, when I see I alone cannot stop three of them and the man bleeding, I run and call for help,” he said.
By the time he returned, the individuals involved had already left the scene. The witness said attempts were made to get emergency medical assistance for the injured man.
“We call an ambulance. Ambulance didn’t come,” he said, explaining that the victim was eventually transported for medical treatment but later died.
Relatives of the deceased say the incident has left them deeply traumatized.
One of Modeste’s nieces recalled hearing a disturbance before discovering her uncle badly injured outside her home.
“I just heard a commotion outside. I came outside. I saw my uncle on my step bleeding to death, and that alone traumatized me,” she said.
She described her uncle as a caring and straightforward person who was not known for violence.
“I never knew my uncle in any violence. He was very loving. He would say it how it is. He would say whatever you have to say, how it is,” she explained.
According to the niece, Modeste often offered advice and guidance to those around him.
“If you are doing something that is not good, he would always tell you to check on yourself,” she said.
She also expressed concern about the time it took for emergency responders to arrive at the scene.
“The ambulance was taking too long to come,” she added.
Police investigations into the fatal stabbing are ongoing.