By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Staff Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
DISTRAUGHT family members of Preston Ferguson say that they are certain he was murdered and blame police for mishandling the investigation into his death.
Ferguson, 38, a resident of Exuma and father of one, was found dead in a truck on the side of the road in the area of Ocean Addition East, near the Forest, Exuma, on the morning of August 2. Police initially suspected that he had run off the road and hit a utility pole, however, his family believes the accident was "staged."
They claim they know of an individual with a motive to kill Preston. According to his sister, Eloise Moxey, it is believed that her brother was having an affair with a married woman.
"He promised my brother he was going to kill him," Mrs Moxey alleged.
According to Preston's family, the minimal damage to the vehicle he was found in was not consistent with his massive injury and that the impact could not have caused his death. According to Mr Ferguson's family, police had raised the theory that Mr Ferguson had perhaps stuck his head out of the truck's window to spit and hit his head on the lamp pole. The second theory was that Mr Ferguson had fallen asleep and his head fell out of the window.
Merv Johnson who had been with his uncle earlier that night said that Mr Ferguson was found sitting upright in the driver's seat of the truck with his head slumped back.
"That was the only visible mark of any kind of trauma to him. There wasn't any visible damage to the truck. The front of the truck was intact, the windshield was intact, the only damage was a scrape to the driver's side of the truck and they were saying that's what killed him," Mr Johnson said.
The family also highlighted the fact that most of the blood was found on the passenger side. "The only thing broken on the truck is the side mirror, not one single drop of blood on the driver's side," Mrs Moxey said. She also noted that no broken glass was found on her brother's body but was found mainly on the passenger seat.
"The window was broken out. It's obvious that the glass was up and was hit from the outside to look like an accident because most of the glass is on the passenger side. He was sitting on glass. "How could he sit on glass if the glass was broken on impact?" Mrs Ferguson wanted to know. She also noted that the air conditioning was left on which further suggested that the windows had been up. The family claims that their evidence suggests that Mr Ferguson was the victim of murder.
"The police are deeming this an accident, but we know that this is a murder and we have evidence to substantiate our claim that it was a murder," Mrs Moxey alleged. According to Mr Ferguson's family, the deceased was last seen leaving Rolleville with his female friend.
"She picked him up as she was leaving Rolleville and he drove with her supposedly back to his place. He said he was going home; he had no reason to come back out," Mr Ferguson's nephew said.
Mrs Moxey said that she has met with Commissioner of Police Reginald Ferguson regarding the matter and was recently informed that an investigation is continuing and that "experts are conducting a re-enactment of the accident." Mrs Moxey said she also met with National Security Minister Tommy Turnquest.
Commissioner Ferguson told The Tribune, "We are conducting a thorough investigation into this matter. I am aware of the suspicions as to how he may have died. We have been in touch with his family and will have a meeting very soon to inform them of our findings."
"Someone drove that vehicle to where they staged this and drove it up against the lamp post. What concerns us is the way this was handled by police," Mrs Moxey said.
"They have gotten rid of every single piece of evidence. They sent the truck back to Grand Isles because my brother worked in the landscaping department at Grand Isles. That was a company truck. That's the reason he didn't go out in the truck that night."
Mr Ferguson's family is also wondering whatever became of his clothing and hair samples or DNA that could be extracted from them. They say that the individual they suspect has not as yet been questioned by police. They also say that the woman who was the last person to be seen with him has not been questioned either. The family says that they have been awaiting the results of a toxicology report for about a month.
"He left to go home that night. He left with a certain lady who was supposed to be taking him home. The next morning he is dead and who shows up at the door? This lady with her husband to say that he is dead," Mrs Moxey said.
Mr Ferguson who was employed at Grand Isle Villas as a Landscaping Supervisor was the youngest of 12 children. He was laid to rest August 21. He is survived by his son, Preston Jr.
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Published On:Tuesday, September 22, 2009