Police have arrested a 20-year-old man in connection with the murder of former heavyweight and Canadian boxing champion Trevor Berbick in Kingston, Jamaica.
The former fighter, who made his reputation by beating the legendary Muhammad Ali in a 10-round unanimous decision in 1981, was found dead with chop wounds to his head in a church courtyard next to his family home on Saturday morning.
Trevor Berbick, while Canadian heavyweight champion in 1999, hoists his title belt after defeating Shane Sutcliffe with a 12th-round TKO in Montreal.
(Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)
Police said a number of people who live in the isolated farming area in the Norwich region — 235 kilometres east of Kingston — identified the suspect as the man involved in a land dispute with Berbick.
Police spokesman Les Green declined to name the suspect before the arraignment, which has yet to be set.
"We have some very good information from witnesses and we have recovered a weapon we believe was used in the assault," said Green, a Scottish detective.
Green also refused to confirm the kind of weapon police found or where it was discovered.
Police have not released the motive for the murder or other possible suspects involved in Berbick's slaying.
4 wounds to back of head
Const. Beverly Howell said Berbick's body was discovered around 6:30 a.m. local time in a church courtyard in his hometown parish of Portland, adjacent to the three-bedroom home where the ex-champion grew up.
'The impression and damage done to the skull have indicated that a machete may have been used by his attacker or attackers to murder him.'-Det. Sgt. Kenneth Bailey
Det. Sgt. Kenneth Bailey of the Port Antonio police station in Portland told the Jamaica Gleaner newspaper that Berbick was last seen alive early Saturday at a nearby bar.
"The body had four wounds to the back of the head, as he was probably attacked from behind," Bailey told the newspaper.
"The impression and damage done to the skull have indicated that a machete may have been used by his attacker or attackers to murder him."
Captured WBC heavyweight title
Berbick's victory over Ali was the latter's last in a career that spanned three decades.
Berbick went on to capture the WBC heavyweight title with a decisive win over American fighter Pinklon Thomas. However, Berbick's title reign was brief.
Eight months later, he took on challenger Mike Tyson in Las Vegas.
Tyson took control of the fight from the start and levelled Berbick in the second with a vicious right hand, knocking the champion down. Berbick attempted to get up twice, but stumbled to the canvas both times.
The victory made Tyson, 20, the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history.
Berbick finished with a professional record of 50-11-1, including 33 KOs, but ran into legal problems following the Tyson fight.
Assault, rape, theft convictions
Berbick was convicted in 1991 of misdemeanour assault for attacking his former business manager, who testified in court that the fighter held a gun to her head and accused her of stealing money from him.
Things got worse the next year when Berbick, who was living in Florida, was convicted of raping a family babysitter and sentenced to four years in prison.
Berbick was also convicted of second-degree grand theft in 1992 for forging his ex-wife's signature to get a mortgage on a home.
Berbick served a combined 15 months for both convictions and was ordered deported back to Jamaica. However, Berbick fled to Montreal before his impending removal.
He then headed west to British Columbia to attempt a boxing comeback, despite the warrant for his arrest in Florida. Berbick eventually returned to Florida, where he was finally deported to Jamaica in 2002.
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