By ANDREW J.W. KNOWLES
Shande Sharee Cartwright became the country's latest murder victim after she was stabbed on a beach in the Adelaide Village area on Monday night.
A Royal Bank of Canada worker and mother of two was brutally stabbed to death on a secluded beach Monday night, police have confirmed.
Authorities have identified the woman as 22-year-old Shande Cartwright of Johnson Road. Police said a group of men stabbed her on Adelaide Beach at 9:00 p.m. Her boyfriend, who was with her at the time, was also stabbed several times. Police said the boyfriend, who has not been identified, was taken to the hospital. Cartwright, however, died on the scene. On Tuesday, Cartwright’s Facebook page was lit ablaze with condolences pouring in from family and friends. One of Cartwright’s coworkers, who spoke on condition of animonity, described the atmosphere at the bank as a “depressing” one, as Cartwright was a cheerful person and always full of energy. “Shande was a bubbly person. She had a beautiful voice and was always singing. I can’t believe she’s gone, this comes as a huge blow,” she said. Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade visited the crime scene yesterday with a team of officers. He said he is satisfied with the progress that the investigative team has made. “We thought it was important to go back and look a little more closely at some things in that environment,” he said. “Based on the significant support that we have received from the wider community already, we had an interesting conversation there and I am very pleased with the direction the investigation is going in. We are going to do a lot more work.” The commissioner confirmed that the police have individuals in the Central Detective Unit (CDU) who are assisting them with the investigation. Although the Adelaide community is a tranquil and relatively safe one, Commissioner Greenslade and other senior officers led officers on a walkabout in the community to allay the fears and concerns of the residents. “The commissioner decided that it would in the best interest if we walked through and assured the people of our presence, to see if there are any concerns and to let them know that we will always be there for them in case they need the police assistance,” said Superintendent Prince Smith, Officer-in-Charge of the Southwestern Division. But, according to Superintendent Smith, the incident was an isolated one. He said during the walkabout officers discovered that the majority of residents did not even know what had happened. “Well the people that we spoke to during our walkabout didn’t even know until we brought it to their attention...Just one person I spoke to this morning, indicated that when he returned home from work he heard the sirens, and someone brought it to his attention that there was a homicide by the beach in the area.” Roslyn Johnson and Jonathon Deal, longtime residents in the Adelaide community, told the Bahama Journal that the police walkabout in the close-knit community was a welcome one, especially during these times. “It is very good, I feel happy, said Ms. Johnson. “I’m glad that they are doing this and it should be done more often. It would be much better so we know what is going on. We have this one coming around and that one coming around from time-to-time doing foolishness and we don’t need that. They go on the beach out there and they could do anything they want to do and the people in the village don’t know anything about it.” “It makes me feel great, because in times like these you really need a lot of police around to make sure everything is under control,” said Mr. Deal. The commissioner and officers then moved into the Gambier community, and conducted a walkabout there as well. While it appears that the crime wave is now moving into relatively safe areas, Mr. Greenslade maintains that there is no need to alarmed, as most crimes are done by a minority of offenders. “We live in a wonderful democracy, a beautiful country where the majority of our people are decent hardworking residents and citizens,” he said. “I am going to continue saying that because I know that to be the case. What we have, as I have said before, is a core group of prolific serious offenders who continue to commit crimes in this country predominately in New Providence.” He continued, “Many of these persons, if not all of them, have been arrested, not just once or twice before. They have been charged with various serious crimes and have been taken before the courts. We continue to see them, and where they reoffend we arrest them and take them back before the courts.” Police said they intend to have these walkabouts in various communities on a consistent basis to reassure the public of their presence and build a stronger relationship with the residents of the communities.
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