One man is now dead and another in police custody following a fatal dispute in Mount Pleasant, Portland, yesterday, over what some say started because of the alleged theft of a deer and the sale of its meat.

Initial information reaching THE STAR is that sometime after 9:15 a.m., the now deceased and the other man were locked in a heated argument, with one accusing the other of stealing a deer and selling the meat.

Reports say the argument developed to the point where weapons were drawn and one man was stabbed in the left side of the neck.

An investigator said that the injured man was taken to hospital for medical attention, but succumbed to his injuries. The policeman said the man was pronounced dead some time after arriving at the doctor. He noted that the other party is currently in police custody.

no confirmation

The investigator said that while he has heard talks that the death of the man may have come as a result of a dispute over the theft and sale of deer meat, he could not immediately confirm that claim as the police are still at the information-gathering stage of the investigation.

Information reaching this newspaper is that deer have been sighted in the area since the 1988 passing of Hurricane Gilbert, when some of the animals escaped from a park in Somerset, Portland, following damage to the facility. The animals were being kept there as an attraction. Since then, it is said that people have often hunted and slaughtered the deer, selling the meat for as much as $500 per pound.