by Byron McDaniel, Star Writer

Walderston, Manchester

An 18-year-old female student of Cumberland in Manchester became the second murder victim in the parish since the start of the year when she succumbed to a knife wound to her back inflicted by a 24-year-old male mechanic.

Police reports are that about 12:30 Sunday afternoon, the deceased, Maria Williams, went to Banana Ground in the parish to assist her sister, Chrystal Gray, to move from an apartment she shared with the mechanic, Adrian Palmer.

A fuss developed between Williams and the accused and during an ensuing fight, a knife was plunged into Williams' upper back. She was taken to the Mandeville Regional Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Palmer has been arrested by the Mandeville police and has since been charged with murder.

The first murder for the year occurred last week Sunday when 30-year-old businessman Kirk Lester was murdered by an alleged male lover.