Suspect In The Murder Of Ricky Trooper’s Daughter Captured In Ohio
Derrick Francis, the main suspect in the death of Brianna Destiny McKoy, the 23-year-old daughter of veteran selector Ricky Trooper, has been captured by the police.
According to WTNH.com, the 41-year-old resident of Bridgeport, Connecticut was captured in Ohio on Monday (April 17). It was reported that Francis was taken into custody after fleeing from a vehicle during a traffic stop in Ohio.
Officers were also said to have found a loaded handgun inside the vehicle and that Francis is now facing additional firearm charges in Ohio.
He is now in the custody of Solon and Cuyahoga County police in Ohio.
Ricky Trooper, whose given name is Garfield McKoy was plunged into a state of mourning on Good Friday, after his daughter, a mother of a one-year-old boy, was found unresponsive the day before around 11:20 a.m. inside her condominium in Bridgeport.
An infant was found unharmed inside the home following the shooting.
The selector had taken to Instagram to express gratitude for the outpouring of support, and expressed the heart-wrenching grief that he was experiencing.
“Mi used to hear dem thing yah happen to people and mi a say, ‘Yow, wonder why dem things yah happen?’, and mi wish say mi wouldn’t find myself in da position ya, but such is life.
“Dem say mi question the Almighty, … but sometime you haffi wonder if God really deh still ‘cause more time when some something gwaan … but mi a hold it,” he said in a seven minute live video posted to his Instagram page on April 7.
“Mi baby innocent, star. ‘Cause you a talk to a man an’ yuh say you nuh in a nothing with dem and yuh done, and a man a gwaan like say dem own you,” Ricky Trooper said during the live stream.
As he sniffled to hold back tears, the selector expressed the irony of parents having to bury their children.
“By right, no father and nuh mother nuh supposed to a bury dem pickney. A yuh pickney supposed to bury yuh,” he said, as he related to Reggae singer Thriller U whose 15- year-old daughter, Nekitta, was murdered during a robbery in Florida in August 2009.
At the time of the live stream, Trooper declared that he was on his way to a dance said that playing music was a means of comfort for him.
“A did music really and truly a keep mi going. Just a play di music ‘cause a dat mi know fi do and it a hold mi sanity right yah now,” he added before thanking other industry players and fans for their love.
Trooper has made a slew of posts since his daughter’s demise; predominantly about his children.
Reggae singer Nesbeth joined in a Nine Night celebration that was held last Friday for the deceased.
“An’ fi di res’ a di family members, unuh still strong, an’ know seh a nuh unuh alone a mourn. ‘Cause some people weh neva even get fi mek it a mourn wid unuh. I an’ I a mourn wid di family members straight,” Nesbeth said at the gathering adding, “Trooper, a family wi seh enuh.”
As lead selector of Kilimanjaro, Trooper, who played on the sound from 1989 to 2000, won the first ever Irish and Chin World Clash, which was held in 1998 at the Amazura nightclub in Queens, New York.
Trooper, joined Kilimanjaro decades ago and immediately set about destroying anything in his path. Under his command, Kilimanjaro, fondly known as Jarro, became the number one clash sound, flattening sounds after sounds and claiming numerous trophies and winning trophies, among them Rockers and Binns Awards.
Among the St Mary native’s biggest clashes was one which took place on April 22, 1995 at the Portmore Entertainment Centre, when he ripped New York-based King Addies to shreds, and subsequently became known as the ‘serial killer’ of clashing.
In one of his first big face-offs Trooper decimated British selector David Rodigan. Other sound systems and selectors who have fallen at his feet include: Bodyguard, Stone Love, Metro Media, Bass Odyssey, Black Kat, King Jammys and Mighty Crown from Japan.
Trooper had first major win under his own sound system, Sound Trooper at World Clash Jamaica, dubbed Death Before Dishonor, in 2006.