By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

A SUSPECT in the murders of two women was shot in the head Monday hours after the women died of their wounds. He became Nassau’s fifth murder victim in less than two days.

The Tribune understands that the latest victim is Ryan Smith, also known as “Sniper”, who was known to the police. The victim is believed to be in his mid-20s.

His killing brought the country’s murder count to 77 for the year. Supt Rolle said police are not sure if retaliation was the motive for the murder, however, he said, police have not ruled it out.

Police say they received reports around 6:45am Tuesday that the body of a man was seen on a track road off Solider Road.

When officers arrived they found the man lying in a pool of blood with gunshot wounds in his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Superintendent Paul Rolle, officer in charge of the Central Detective Unit, said police believe the victim was dead for about nine hours before his body was found. He also said “the deceased was being sought in two recent murders.”

“He was a suspect in the murder of the woman from the nightclub, Latoya Williams, as well as the woman who was shot while on the motorcycle, Nadia Cartwright,” he said.

“We can’t say much more at this time because we do not want to interfere with the investigation, but we were looking at him for those matters.”

Cartwright was shot in the head and killed around 2:30am Monday.

Police initially thought they were going to the scene of a traffic accident, but when they arrived they found her lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the head.

“Preliminary information is that she and her male companion were on a trail motorcycle when persons in a grey Nissan Tida pulled alongside them and hit the female who was on the back. She fell off the back (of the cycle),” Supt Rolle said.

“The driver of the car then struck the man who was riding the bike causing him to collide into a guardrail and he fell off. One of the occupants got out of the vehicle and took the bike.”

Supt Rolle said officers from CDU, Flying Squad and Mobile Division went to a residence in Yellow Elder Gardens where the bike and the Tida were recovered. They also took a 24-year-old man and 31-year-old woman into custody in connection with this matter.

An hour later, police were called to the scene of another murder, this time in the East Street area. Police say Latoya Williams, was standing at the door of her nightclub, when she and another man were shot.

Supt Rolle said: “We got reports of a shooting on Cordeaux Avenue. When we arrived we saw a man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds. What we do know is that two men were involved in an altercation when one of the men left after the argument, but returned a short time later and attempted to gain entry into the club.

“Persons recognising him prevented him from going in. At this point he produced a weapon and fired into the establishment hitting a young woman, the owner, who was standing at the door, in her chest. The other young man who was standing there was hit in the hand and abdomen. They were both taken to hospital where the female died of her injuries around 5am.”

Anyone with information on any of these homicides is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.