Cordell Farrington

Early Life

Cordell Farrington was born in New Providence in 1968. According to Farrington, he was abused as a child and at some point in his life, he became addicted to crack cocaine. Somehow, he managed to rehabilitate himself overtime.

Farrington then attempted to work at several places, including training as a priest, before settling to work at a warehouse in Grand Bahama. In his spare time, he would draw pictures of boys crying, some of which were even showcased at exhibitions at the Artists’ Association of Grand Bahama. Farrington eventually married, and had a daughter. According to his wife, he was a good father, but they soon split after she noticed he was losing weight rapidly and suspected he began smoking crack again.

Murders

His first victim, Mackinson Colas (11 years old), vanished May 16th, 2003. He was last seen by his mother. Farrington admitted to police that he had picked the boy up on Pioneer’s Way in Freeport. He stated that he took Colas to his home, ordered him to shower and told him that he was going to kill him. When Colas asked Farrington why he had to kill him, he replied that “he had to do it”.

Farrington told police he bound his victim by his hands and feet with duct tape, and struck him in the head several times with a wooden plank. He then transported the body to his car, drove to Barbary Beach and dumped the body there. He came back two weeks later to collect the boy’s remains.

His second victim, Deangelo McKenzie (13 years old), was abducted on May 27th, 2003. He was last seen by his grandfather. Farrington told police that he picked up McKenzie in the parking lot of the Church of God while the boy was headed home from school. He told police he had asked the boy to go home with him to pick up some equipment for the church. Farrington admitted that he had sex with his victim twice after taking him home. He had asked the boy about his family then told him that he would have to kill him. He said McKenzie pleaded with him, and said he just wanted to go to school and have a good education.

Farrington then bound McKenzie with duct tape, and hit him over the head several times with a wooden plank. He then moved the body to the trunk of his car and drove to Barbary Beach where he hid the body.

Farrington’s third victim, Junior Reme (11 years old), was last seen on July 29th, 2003 by his mother. He told police that he picked up Reme at the rear of Christ the King Anglican Church and took him to his home. He then ordered the boy to take a shower, but the boy refused.

Farrington told police that he bound his victim with duct tape, but the child started to scream, so he stabbed him with a knife in the neck. This all took place while Farrington’s own son was in another room. As he did with his last victims, he took the body to Barbary Beach where he hid it.

His fourth victim, Desmond Rolle (14 years old), was last seen by his mother on September 28th, 2003 by his mother. Farrington was on his way to William’s Town when he abducted Rolle from a park. He told his victim that he knew his mother and brother, and after gaining his trust, drove him to a bushy area, where he handcuffed and raped him. Farrington then slit Rolle’s throat, took his body back to the car and committed a sexual act. He transported the body to Barbary Beach, where he slit open the chest cavity, removed his heart and severed his limbs. Farrington admitted to police that he was trying a ‘new way’ to kill.

Farrington also admitted to killing his male lover, Jamal Robins, in 2002 in Freeport. He said that their relationship was business and strictly sexual. Farrington reported that Robbins threatened to leave him because he could not afford to keep him, which angered Farrington to the point of murder.

Farrington told police that one night as Robins was lying across the bed they shared. he hit him in the head with an iron plank, then followed up with blows about the body. Farrington then described how he wrapped the body in a blanket, then called his ex lover, Otterio Floyd, to help him dispose of the body. Robins was dumped in bushes off the Grand Bahama highway. He told police he returned to the scene in December 2002 to be sure the body was deteriorating so he would be able to package the remains and take them home.

Surrender, Trial and Sentence

On October 26th, 2003, Farrington gave himself up to police, and confessed to murdering the four boys and his lover. He then directed police to remote parts of the island and to his house where the bones of some of the deceased were found.

Farringon was arraigned before the court, and initially sentenced to death for killing Robins and an additional four life sentences for the boys’ murders. His charges were soon reduced to manslaughter, and it was determined that he suffered from a severe personality disorder.

He appeared before the court again in 2014, with the request to have his sentence reversed with the Robin’s murder. On March 31st, 2015, the court quashed the sentence and replaced the conviction with life imprisonment.