The passing of former Kingston College student-athlete Kevaughn Goldson has sent shockwaves through the school community and Jamaica’s sporting fraternity after the 23-year-old was killed in a domestic incident in the United States.
Goldson, a former representative of the famed “Purples of North Street,” had gone on to compete overseas and was a senior sprinter at Lincoln University of Missouri, where he represented the school’s Blue Tigers track and field programme.
Authorities in Jefferson City said police were dispatched early Monday to a residence on the 800 block of Fairmount Boulevard after reports of a stabbing. Officers found Goldson suffering from stab wounds to his back and chest. He was rushed to hospital and later airlifted to University Hospital, where he died during surgery.
In a statement, Lincoln University said the tragedy has deeply affected the campus community.
“Our thoughts are with family, friends, faculty, staff and all who have been impacted by this tragic situation,” the university said, noting that counseling and other support services were being made available.
Police arrested 27-year-old Denita Atiyah Jackson, originally from Guyana, following the incident. Prosecutors in Cole County have charged her with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. She is currently being held without bond.
Court filings state Jackson and Goldson were romantically involved and had a history of domestic disputes. Jackson reportedly told police the latest argument began over a missing bottle of cologne and suspicions that Goldson was involved with one of her roommates.
Jackson allegedly told investigators she returned home around 1 a.m. after leaving work early because she was feeling ill. When she arrived, Goldson was no longer in her bedroom. She later heard voices in a roommate’s room and used a hair clip to unlock the door.
According to the documents, Jackson told police she found Goldson and the roommate on the bed, fully clothed, with the missing bottle of cologne. She allegedly jumped onto the bed, grabbed the bottle and Goldson’s shirt, and a fight broke out.
Police said Jackson reported that Goldson kicked her in the stomach, causing her to fall, and that he then got on top of her and began choking her. She told officers she grabbed a knife from beneath the bed and stabbed him in the back and chest. Authorities said Jackson later called 911 to report the stabbing.
Goldson had been transported to Capital Region Medical Center before being flown to University Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Back home, news of his death has left the Kingston College community in mourning. Goldson was known for representing the school in both track and football before continuing his athletic career in the United States.
