The murder toll in Grenada jumped to eight last week following the murder of a teenager over an altercation involving a Compact Disc (CD). Dead is 19-year old David Joseph of Pearls, St. Andrew's.

Police have charged a man described as a "friend" of the deceased, 32-year old Dan "Eric" Ranger with murder for the offence that was committed last week Wednesday. Ranger made his first court appearance Monday before the Grenville Magistrate's Court and was remanded to the Richmond Hill prison.

Joseph's grandmother, Joyce Joseph, told GRENADA TODAY that on the day the incident occurred her grand son who was employed with his father as a salesman was at home since he was not feeling well as a result of the flu.

She said that David who grew up with her, left their home and went to his friend's (Ranger) home to collect his CD. It was reported that for one reason or another he (Ranger) refused to return the CD to David which led to an altercation between the two men.

There are unconfirmed reports that Joseph was beaten mercilessly before he was thrown over a bridge in the Pearls community. He was dragged up and thrown again over the other side of the bridge by his assailant.

David was reportedly pulled from the bottom of the bridge by a police officer who at the time was travelling on a bus. It is reported that the police officer realized the commotion and stopped to investigate the situation.

Joseph was said to be semi-conscious at the time and was  picked up from the ground and placed on a ply-board alongside the road. He is said to have recovered and assured the officer that he was feeling fine and was able to walk home some 80 yards away.

However, moments later he collapsed and had to be rushed to the Mirabeau hospital. Later in the day, David was transferred to the General Hospital in St. George's. Having to cope with the loss of his only son, one of three children, the grieving father of Joseph is partially blaming the lack of proper medical attention his son was not privy to at the hospital in St George's for his death.

Ruthford Joseph is convinced that if his son was able to get immediate and urgent attention that might have made a difference in his life. The father told GRENADA TODAY that his son was just left to die at the General Hospital.

He charged that hours after David was transferred from Mirabeau hospital to the General Hospital, he was not treated as an emergency case. The dead man's father said they were made to wait for a long period of time while the nurse's only seemed to be concerned with his son's broken arm.

According to Joseph, at one point he had to indicate to the nurse that he was more interested in having his son's other serious injuries on the body checked rather than his arm since a broken arm can't kill him.

Joseph said that x-ray scans were taken on his son however to their disappointment there was no doctor present to read the x-ray or to attend to his son. During those moments, David son continued to hemorrhage internally.

Joseph died at the General Hospital the following morning as a result of wounds sustained to his head and chest. His grieving grandmother described her grandson as a very quiet boy. "You have to ask him something for him to answer, she said."

What is painful to her is that her grandson's alleged killer was his "friend", a man Joseph grew up with. The alleged perpetrator (Ranger) was also said to be nursing chop wounds to several parts of his body allegedly inflicted on him by a friend of the deceased who at the time was trying to save Joseph's life.

Alvin Roberts

The death of Joseph follows closely on the heels of the murder of ten-year old Tahira Robert of Upper Capital, St. Andrew's. The Grade Six student of St Matthew's Roman Catholic School died as a result of strangulation.

Her uncle, Alvin Roberts, of Birchgrove, St Andrew's was arrested and officially charged with her death. He made his first court appearance last week Thursday at the Grenville Magistrate's Court.

Joseph will be laid to rest next week Monday at the family cemetery at Belair, St Andrew's following a church service at the Grenville Anglican Church.