ST JAMES, Jamaica — The St James police are deeply troubled by the recent spate of killings of women in the parish, pointing to a pattern of interpersonal violence behind many of the murders.

In a string of recent killings involving women in St James, Cora Thompson, 38, was fatally shot on April 22 while selling books at the Montego Bay New Testament Church of God.

On April 29, Melissa Kerry Samnath, 35, was found dead during a birthday trip to Jamaica; a post-mortem later confirmed homicide.