St Andrew Police Hunt for Man After Allegedly Fatally Chopping Girlfriend

The search for Ricardo McCarthy continues into Wednesday after he reportedly chopped his girlfriend, Sashana Shaw, to death and wounded her daughter on Tuesday morning. McCarthy, who goes by the alias “Crow”, allegedly carried out the attack in the Rose Hill district of St Andrew.

Early reports suggest the motive may have been jealousy, with rumours of an alleged love triangle surrounding the incident. McCarthy fled the scene, and around 10 a.m., residents discovered the victims. Shaw was found lying along a riverbed, covered in multiple chop wounds.

Locals were alerted to the scene and had to carefully descend a steep hillside to reach Shaw. Her body was partially clothed with severe injuries from head to toe. She was later pronounced dead, while her teenage daughter, who was also attacked, sustained critical head injuries and remains under close medical supervision.

Many residents described the violence as senseless and unimaginable. “As the holiday done so? Mi can’t believe this… Not in Content. Rose Hill dark, dark right now. Him shouldn’t do this… Him shoulda just leave. Him young. Find another woman,” one resident said. Another added, “People tell him to leave her because the violence no worth it.”

According to a resident, Shaw had reportedly wanted to end her relationship with McCarthy, and neighbours were seemingly aware of tensions between the couple. “Everybody know ‘bout dem. You have people who know her and some know him. Some people also know the both of them. Him weak long time… A weak man do dem thing ya,” a family member said.

The St Andrew North police have launched a full-scale manhunt for McCarthy and are investigating the incident as a case of murder and wounding.

The tragic case adds to Jamaica’s ongoing struggle with domestic violence. Meanwhile, the overall murder rate for St Andrew North currently stands at 30 for 2025 as of October 11, compared to 52 during the same period in 2024.