The family of Richard Remington say he was making progress in attempts to turn his life around when he met his end last month.
A close female relative, who asked not to be named, said the man’s family remains baffled about his murder.
The decomposing remains of Remington, a 43-year-old Christianburg, Wismar, Linden resident, was found in a clump of bushes along a track in the vicinity of Matthews Lane in the Christianburg/ Cholmondeley Hill area on February 12. He had been shot three times, including once to the head.
His relative recalled that Remington would have left his home three days before his body was discovered. He did not say where he was going. The family got word that his body was found and his father later identified his remains by the clothing he was wearing when he last left home.
The relative opined that Remington may have been lured into the bushy spot by someone he knew. She indicated that the area where he was found was located just off the route he would take to reach home. According to her, inquiries from persons living nearby revealed that on the night of February 9th three gunshots were heard followed by sounds of someone running. She indicated that no one ventured outside to investigate as the area is without power and is very bushy.
The relative said Remington was making attempts to turn his life around following the birth of his child less than a year ago. She also had often warned the man not to find himself in bad company.
Despite his efforts, however, she said the media attempted to paint a very dirty picture of Remington following his murder.
She denied claims that he had a hand in the severe chopping of a woman at Mahdia and an attack last month on a Kara Kara family. Specifically addressing the Kara Kara attack, the man’s relative said that at the time Remington was working in the interior and returned home subsequently with a swollen foot. She said after his return he was promptly arrested but was subsequently released without charge. The woman insisted that Remington would not attempt to harm the family as he knew the head of the household.
She, however, acknowledged though that he had been implicated previously in armed robberies and burglary and had been charged and spent time in prison. Since then, she said, “anything that happen police blaming him.”
She spoke of one occasion when a burglary occurred while Remington was in the lock-ups but still the police pointed fingers at him.
“He was always being targeted… blamed for things he did not do and he get jail for it. Police use to target he because they know that he was in things like these (Kara Kara) before,” she stressed, while noting that being targeted by the police depressed Remington.
Remington’s relative recalled him being blamed for the theft of two engines but being exonerated sometime later after the true culprit was revealed.
Although she described him as a very hard worker, she noted that persons often tried to con him out of his earnings and treated him badly. She added that Remington was a very helpful person whom she had a fondness for.
