By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

THE partially decomposed body of 40-year-old man was found "with blunt force trauma" on Monday afternoon in an apartment complex off West Bay Street.

The discovery was made shortly after 2.30pm. The Tribune understands the victim also had apparent stab wounds.

Chief Superintendent Paul Rolle, officer-in-charge of the Central Detective Unit, said police believe the victim was dead for “quite some time” before the body was discovered. Police were alerted to the scene after relatives, who had not heard from the victim, went to his home in St Albans Drive and found him dead on a living room couch.

Police have not officially identified the dead man but The Tribune understands he is Devince Smith, a Scotiabank employee. A father of one, he was also the former president of the New Providence Volleyball Association.

The latest homicide takes the country’s murder count to 143 for the year, according to The Tribune's records.

Chief Supt Rolle said police are still “unsure” of exactly how the man died. However, he said the death has been ruled a homicide.

“We were called here to this apartment building where a male was found,” he told reporters at the scene. “We are presently in the preliminary stages of this investigation and trying to determine the circumstances surrounding how the individual came to his death. We are not quite certain as to what actually transpired. We have a number of officers investigating this and we wish to speak to persons who have information to provide us with that information.

“Right now we know it is an adult male, 40-years-old. We are not certain what caused his injuries but we have a forensic team who will determine what happened. We believe at this point that it is a homicide. I am not certain as to his injuries as this time - we just know there was a lot of blunt force trauma. We are not certain how long he was in there before he was found but it was some time. They have to do some reconstruction to determine that. He was found lying on the couch in the living room by family members after not hearing from him.”

Chief Supt Rolle said there were signs of a fight or struggle in the home but no indication of “forced entry”.

Colleagues and friends of Mr Smith wrote tributes on social media for a man they described as “a lover of people and volleyball”.

One person wrote: “The volleyball community lost a giant of a man. I don't know how there can be people so evil in this world taking the life of a good man, a people helper, a man that was full of joy, a lover for the sport that I love and that brought so many people together with his tournaments. Rest in peace Vince Smith my friend. You will be missed. Praying tonight for your eternal rest and for justice.”

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