Murder Victim Named, Two Men Arrested

January 9, 2012

[Updated with video] The Bermuda Police Service identified the young man murdered last night [Jan.8] as 24-year-old Stefan Burgess, and said two men have been arrested in connection.

His death leaves a mother grieving the loss of the second of her twin sons within a six-year period, with Stefan’s twin brother Ryan Burgess having predeceased him in 2006.

The then 18-year-old was killed in a road traffic accident on Parsons Lane. The twins are pictured together on the left.

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon [Jan.9], Det. Ins. Peter Charlemagne said the police have two men in custody in connection with Mr Burgess’ murder; a 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and a 39-year-old man on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

Shortly after Mr. Burgess’ death last night tributes began appearing on the social media site Facebook, with many posters expressing horror that his mother would have to bury another son. Others tearfully noted that the twins have now been reunited.

Mr. Burgess leaves behind a girlfriend and a young daughter, Ryann, who is named after his late brother. He was described by friends as a very devoted father.

At approximately 9 pm last night [Jan.8] Mr Burgess was shot multiple times while at a residence in the Glebe Road, Pembroke area. He, along with another shooting victim, was rushed to hospital, where Mr. Burgess was pronounced dead. The other wounded man — also in his 20s — is not believed to have life-threatening injuries. His condition is listed as stable.

Update 2.43pm: The video of the police press conference is below:

Update 2.59pm: Assistant Commissioner David Mirfield said, ”This is the first gun murder for 8 months, firearms offences in general have reduced considerably, having said that I know how things can spiral very quickly, there has been a marked increase in gun violence over the past month, and once again there is a tit for tat element to it.

“As a result of that we have put more officers both armed and unarmed on the streets, and we will continue to use all lawful opportunities to suppress gang activity.

“While I cannot say with certainty that this was a gang related shooting, the likelihood is that gang affiliations could have played a part. We are not treating this as a random attack and believe that the address and/or the occupants were targeted. We remain open minded on the potential motive.”

Det. Ins. Peter Charlemagne said, “Following receipt of certain information and subsequent arrest operations this morning, I can confirm one man was arrested on suspicion of murder, and the other was arrested for conspiracy to commit murder, and are currently in custody. One male is aged 25 and the other is aged 39 years old.”

The suspects are described as wearing dark clothing, with dark helmets and tinted visors. No weapons have been recovered, and the crime scene remains under police guard.

The enquiry team is anxious to speak with anyone in The Glebe Road, St. Monica’s Road and North Shore Road, Pembroke area that may have seen a person or persons on a motorcycle and also on foot in these areas between 8:30pm and 9:15pm on the evening of Sunday January 8, 2012.

Anyone with any information on last night’s shooting is asked to contact the Serious Crime Unit on 247-1079, or the independent and confidential Crime Stoppers hotline on 800-8477.

Read More About

Category: All, Crime, News

Comments (50)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

Articles that link to this one:

  1. Murder Defendants Refuse To Speak, Leave Cell | Bernews.com | December 2, 2013
  1. Katrina M Smith says:

    I am sooooo Upsett!!!!!!! :’(

  2. cocoa says:

    Very sad. My hjeart goes out to this young man’s family, especially his mother and young daughter. Sad to have your children die in such tragic incidents. Her heart is heavy. I will keep the famlily in my prayers.

  3. Friend says:

    :’(:’(:’(:’(

  4. Ace Girl (Original) says:

    Very sad that yet another innocent person with absolutely no gang connection is killed. Why do they keep killing the wrong people I wonder? Do they have really bad aim or something? Well I guess there’s nowhere to do target practice is there? So sad that this totally and completely innocent brother was hit. My sincere condolances to the family – especially the Mother.

  5. Ryan says:

    Once again, well done to the BPS for their quick arrests; hopefully, these two men will be behind bars for the remainder of their sorry lives, or, even better, deported overseas to somewhere where they may enjoy a more ‘authentic’ prison experience.

    In my opinion, they do not deserve to live as parasites in this country, even at Westgate.

    I wish to extend my condolences to the family of the deceased during what will, undoubtedly, be a very tough time.

    • Something Else says:

      @Ryan, Just because the police arrested two men does not mean the pair are the murderers. I like you want to see these criminals brought to justice but at the same time we have to be open minded and hope that innocent people go to jail just to say a case has been solved.

    • Compassion says:

      First of all, my heart goes out to the mother of these Stefan. I have a son close to your sons age so I can only but imagine your pain. While people are grieving, it’s best NOT to be sarcastic and use certain words as “comedy”. Bermuda is so small that soon it may be one of your family members that this happens to, it hasn’t happened to mine but I feel for each and every parent and loved one that has to go through this. My heart pains for the young men caught up in this violence in Bermuda most I’m sure would love to get out, but how? Bermuda is not a nice place to live anymore when people can’t even show compassion to others grieving. And Ryan, it’s your choice to be as vocal as you want but please put your surname …. You are Ryan who? My son is named Ryan and I wouldn’t want gang members to confuse him with you!

  6. BDA Love says:

    Ryan was Daddy’s little girl, ALWAYS & She was his world. You don’t find that often in these young fathers. My heart hurts so much for her as I know it will be hard growing up without him. Ryan is the most beautiful girl ever, and she is so intelligent for her age, and she looked just like him. I can’t help but hold back tears for such tragic loss. :-( I wish I could find her and give her a big hug.

    For his mom, I wouldn’t wish such pain on my worst enemy. God will comfort her during such a loss. I hope the whole family stays strong. To his girlfriend, I hope she is OKAY!!

    Bermuda Lets Stop The Violence. They seem like they’re killing all the wonderful dads out there. STOPPPPPP!!!!

    • fed de fat up says:

      I couldnt agree more. I always admired Stefan because he was so dedicated to his young family. If half of these older cats were as committed to raising their kids as he was, Bermuda would be a better place. Rest in peace. God bless the Burgess family at this difficult time…

  7. Outta Here says:

    Its hard to know what to say. This is the same person who as a teen was attacked by machete on the same day Jason Lightbourne was later shot and killed on Ord Road in 2006. Still could be a coincidence but will the public ever come to know what happened back in 2006 to either victim and why? Such a tragedy for the family and the island but the truth needs to come out. One thing is certain, there are too many murderers still roaming freely in Bermuda.

    • fed de fat up says:

      Do damn truuu

    • WOW says:

      You can’t be serious right now?!

    • More to the story... says:

      And whose brother was found mysteriously dead on the side of the road from a “road accident”. I abhor these murders but I also abhor the denials I read when a story such as this on this website…

      Talk to your young men…they need us.

  8. george says:

    Again, as I’ve told El James & Zane DeSilva already and I will continue to post this until this internal genocide is eliminated — The gun violence problem in Bermuda can be cleaned up if the police & government do the same thing that was done in Los Angeles & conduct an immediate “operation hammer” type assignment. Until then, this madness will continue

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Hammer_(1987)

    http://freethinkingeconomist.com/2010/03/04/los-angeles-murder-rate-in-vertiginous-decline/

    • dogberry says:

      George, operation hammer also lead to the Rampart scandal!!!

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rampart_scandal

      Comm. Desilva has always clearly said that he won’t break the law to stop the crime we need to rise up as a community and help the police try and tackle this, theses are our family who are involved.

    • 5boro says:

      Operation Hammer was also criticized for blatant racial profiling.

  9. Outta Here says:

    This raises another unsolved shooting in my mind at least. Just prior to the Jason Lightbourne killing and the machete attack on Stefan Burgess, there was a shooting at Swizzle South Shore where one person was struck and injured. I can understand why that victim has never been named but have the police ever stated if the bullet recovered from that victim or that scene was ever able to be matched against any of the guns that have been used in other shootings/killings. I trust that BPS is continuing to attempt to connect the dots of all shootings no longer how long ago they occurred. As well as connect the dots for all individuals whose names have legitimately been connected with any shooting.

    Same questions in relation to the Spinning Doors shooting which occurred even earlier.

  10. united says:

    This is so unfortunate! Bermuda, pull your heads out of your collective asses and start to knock on the doors of these thugs and their families. Do as they did in Egypt with the passover(no, I’m not Jewish)and put red paint along the doors and windows of these thugs and their families, make them as lepers that they may stand out and that everybody can figure who the scumbags are. Bring ALL the cockroaches out into the sunlight and deal with them once and for all. Stop ignoring the pink elephant in the room.

  11. :( says:

    RIP Stefan!!!!

  12. united says:

    Better yet, bring back capital punishment. This case has all the makings of such action. An innocent man was killed, his family is not going to derive the financial, physical, emotional and loving bond that this father was capable of giving them. Fry the bastards or hang’em high. If you don’t think that that is a deterrent, especially in Bermuda, that WILL scare off this sort of activity.

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      You are not alone with the capital punishment sentiment. Never gonna happen. The last time a murderer was swung Bermuda had riots. There must be a deterrent. Overseas incarceration, someplace really nasty, sounds good.

      • george says:

        @Triangle Drifter, how about the following link for starters :) :):-

        http://www.tutztutz.com/2008/06/the-10-worst-prisons-in-the-world/

        • Triangle Drifter says:

          Hey George, I took a look. Nasty looking places. I’ve actually seen San Quintin which is on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay. Fearsome looking place from the outside. Huge. Think what Casemates looks like but many many times larger. Creepy just going by on the ferry.

      • united says:

        Yeah, but back in 1977 it was more of a race riot than anything else. Back then, they went to the queen, Canada, appeals and it came down to because the men were black they were hung. I think the crimes that the men had committed were very brutal and evil and they wanted a race riot and light the fires of racism in Bermuda. I don’t want to get distracted with a race argument as what is happening today in Bermuda is more gang banging and living a life according to Lil Wayne and the American gangster thug mentality.

  13. mr.hood. says:

    parents need to be accountable for their children and not let their childen ‘run d’show’…Or u would see this kind of sad outcome..There is only so much can society do to help parents..Parents are the first ones ‘
    children are exposed to…Protect your children from making bad choices~

    • Shaking My Head.. says:

      These are grown men.. WTF!?

    • george says:

      @mr.hood, after a person goes 18 in bda, they are no longer considered children

    • mixitup says:

      Maybe the above posters missed the point. The POint is that if the correct values, respect, love and nurturing is relentlessly instilled at an early age, these now 18 yros etc would have a different view on life like so many other young black males who are “doing the right thing.” No, its not an easy road, but it is doable.

      • united says:

        Let me let you in on a secret. You may have ALL the love and nurturing in the world but when you hook up with a real good friend and his real good friend has a big influence on your real good friend and he has an big influence on YOU and he may not be really in the law, then it goes down hill. I know what I am talking about cause I had two brothers that had all the nurturing, church every Sunday, family always around and they got caught up in drugs but they grew out of it. So, my point is that sometimes life deals you some real bad cards and the parents do all that they can to support a family working hard to pay the bills and so on. But, I do get your point but at 18 years old parents do not have as much influence as they did when they were younger.

  14. Shaking My Head.. says:

    Everyone of ‘em are cowards.. What ever happened to a good old fashion fist fight??.. Shoot a men over some BS??.. Rise Up Bermuda!! This is simply nonsense!

  15. Larry says:

    Those of you who want to hang high are no better then the angry men who kill.
    Why are we all so very angry in Bermuda.
    We just must be more kind to ourselve the killer and those that would kill killers.

    • ishta says:

      Good Day my brother..Peace be unto you..when we put our murdered loved ones in the ground how can you not feel angry…Yes still we gotta have peace..like the late Curtis Mayfield song says….We gotta have peace, to keep the world alive and war to cease…..etc ..and the solders who are dead and gone if only we could only bring back one, he,d say we gotta have peace….Peace Good health and happiness to ALL

  16. Blacks killing each other, this is worst than slavery

  17. True says:

    Operation cleansweep needs to happen again break down doors and drag em out on the streets bring the roaches out into the light.

  18. stern says:

    Its Black on Black! Why? why? Young people wake up! Our black population is starting to decrease slowly. What are you thinking! If your so proud of killing show your face to the world! Why hide! *&$$#@@ COWARDS!!

  19. Keepin' It Real.....4Real says:

    all of u commentors must copy and paste your comments coz its the same talk every week or so after a shooting …That is why its a boring subject now and w dont care about who gets shot….if YOU dont change what is going on then IT will always stay the same….its like stepping in the same pile of dogsh!t and complaining about it rather than just removing it after your first encounter…
    there have been some good solutions presented here but to no avail there are some bleeding hearts that should have bled dry by now but they continue to oppose….if these diseased boys start to shoot REAL innocent people…its gonna be F#@K da Police…Government…or anyone else that gets in the way Trust Me when i tell you…theres gonna be a Gang alright WE’RE gonna do what the Authorities Wont do due to the beaurocracy involved …YOU PUNKS (gangsters)AINT SEEN NOTHING YET…when the hunters become the HUNTED!!!!

  20. Crying Out says:

    My condolences go out to the entire family of Stefan. As each day passes I pray that you gain strength from within. As for these Hoodlums going around thinking it is justice for them to take another’s life, they need to remember that their judgment day will be coming and if not in their lifetime unfortunately it will be written for their offspring’s.
    I think Bermuda needs to adhere to the laws in Oklahoma “A women protecting her 8 month baby girl, was trapped inside her home while 2 men were trying to break in, eventually they did and the 1st man that walked through her door was door was shot and killed” In Oklahoma if the intruder is killed or harmed in any way by the intended victim it’s the intruders accomplice that is held responsible. They are charged with: Guilty by association, Guilty with intension to harm another and GUILTY of his friends Murder.
    The moral is if you live your life by the hands of others you will be guilty of every outcome when associated with people like this “Hoodlums” undercover.
    I I pray that the 2 men that they have apprehended are charged guilty, if not for the murder then for their association..

  21. Peaches & Cream says:

    First of all My deepest condolences to the Family & Friends of this young Man.
    Mere words cannot express how I feel but I will say that I agree whole heartedly with ‘Crying Out’ – When I read the story abt the young lady in her home with her baby with intruders trying to get in, my first thought was that is what our law needs to do, instead the occupier of the home is carted away like a criminal for ‘beating’ the intruder. Not to say that we should ‘shoot/kill’ but trust me, if they enter my home with my husband there they will not leave the same way they entered!!! The sad thing nowadays is that they are now breaking and entering with guns!

  22. Wondering says:

    My condolences as well to the family and friends of Mr. Burgess. In my neighborhood, we have taken on the Loyal Hill area… you may walk, ride in but you wno’t walk out as you, Peaches & Cream, says – the same way you came in.

    I feel, the shackles should be taken off the police and allow them to do what they know they are more than capable of doing.

    Many have said to cart these people off to north rock and leave them, others have said put them on a barge and let it go, others have said send them to the Islands or Cuba -let them experience real prisons.

    Governor, Mr. Perinchief, Lady Premier – let go and let the POLICE….

  23. Patchy says:

    OK, OK. So everyone is mostly talking about AFTER the events happen. What about finding out HOW the guns are getting into Bermuda and stopping it. No easy task for sure, as there might be those in prominent positions who are getting paid mightily for helping let these guns get into the Island. Prevention. Just sayin’.

  24. QURICH says:

    WE MS. U CUZZO…STILL CANT BELIEVE IT…

  25. fried onion says:

    We need a Ducketts raiders type approach. The “Man” should be down 42nd and middletown, kicking down doors and busting every day. When these guys realize they can’t sell the drugs anymore,then maybe they will cool out.