Symister attempts to jog Police’s memory, asking about investigation into prison death of Vurel Simon, which he considers a homicide

Leon Chaku Symister, an attorney-at-law, is concerned that – after almost two
and a half years – the investigation into the death of Vurel Simon has not
yielded any results.

Back in November 2022, Symister aired his concerns over Simon’s death,
demanding to know whether an investigation had been launched into the
suspicious incident.

Simon had been on remand at His Majesty’s Prison for the murder of Police
Officer #500 Clifton Common, 51, who was fatally attacked while on duty at
the St. John’s Police Station on February 11, 2021.
 
After being charged with the capital offence of murder, Simon was found dead
in his cell months later, on December 22 that same year, and the Police were
summoned to the prison.

Officers and prison officials had indicated, then, that an investigation would be
launched into Simon’s death – since, at first, the cause and the circumstances
surrounding it were unclear.
 
It was initially thought that Simon had been electrocuted and that the death
had occurred shortly after 12 p.m. on the day in question. Then, reports
circulated said the death could have been a suicide. However, a post-mortem
examination later revealed that Simon’s death had been due to asphyxiation.
 
Concerned about the Police’s silence on the issue, Symister had written to
Police Commissioner Rodney, asking about an investigation. However, that
letter went unanswered, and the attorney indicated that he intended to write
again.
 
He says he has since been in contact with a senior member of the Criminal
Investigations Department (CID), seeking details about the status of the
investigation. However, the attorney reports, he has made several calls to the
senior officer, who promised that he would get back to him – but is yet to do
so.
 
Symister says that Simon’s case, which he refers to as a homicide, is not the
only one that, seemingly, is being swept under the carpet by the Police.

Attorney-at-law Leon Chaku Symister.

Simon was 20 years old at the time of the attack that claimed the life of the
police officer, and was alleged to be suffering from a mental disorder.