Joel McHutchinson, 44, was ambushed near a birthday gathering in Laventille. Police found over 30 spent rifle shells.
A man who admitted to a role in the 2005 killing of an elderly neighbour was shot dead early Saturday in Laventille. Police said Joel McHutchinson, also called “Joe,” 44, of Maloney Gardens, was attacked around 1 a.m. at Pump Trace, off Picton Road. McHutchinson was originally from Pump Trace.
Police said he stepped outside a birthday party to speak with a cousin, according to the Express. About ten minutes later, he was ambushed by an unknown number of attackers and shot multiple times. The Guardian reported he had left a friend’s home with another man to go to a nearby shop, and that gunshots were heard soon afterward. McHutchinson died at the scene. Investigators believe an assault rifle was used, and more than 33 spent 7.62mm shells were recovered.
McHutchinson was one of four men who pleaded guilty in June 2018 to felony murder in the Aug. 1, 2005 killing of 65-year-old Ignatius Antoine. The court heard the men broke into Antoine’s home and beat him. They buried his body in a shallow grave. McHutchinson was sentenced to just under eight years in prison, and the Express reported he had since been released.
No motive has been given, and no arrests have been reported. Investigations are continuing. The Express put the country’s 2026 murder toll at 292 as of Saturday night.