The Murder of Dr. Gary Jenkins
On July 20, 2021, Jason Edwards, Lee Strickland, and Dionne Timms-Williams beat Dr. Gary Jenkins for 15 minutes and left him to die. He succumbed to his injuries 16 days later.
Dr. Gary Jenkins
Dr. Gary Jenkins, 54, was a psychiatrist, who spent much of his life helping others. Friends described him as “funny, generous, and kind.” Dr. Jenkins was also a musician and a cook. He leaves behind two children, an ex-wife, and many friends.
Before the Murder
Dr. Jenkins stopped at a convenience store and grabbed a bite to eat at Calabrisella around 4:55pm after work on July 19, 2021. He then went for a few drinks at different bars before stopping at a gas station for some cigarettes and alcohol. After leaving the gas station, he was last seen on security surveillance near Bute Park.
Dionne Timms-Williams, 16, had been walking down Queen Street at 10:30pm on July 19. Surveillance footage shows her charging her phone at a public charging station for a short time before walking on.
Jason Edwards, 25, and Lee Strickland, 36, were sitting on a bench when Williams walked by around 11:15pm. Edwards started talking to her; she accepted a can of beer from them and stood talking with the two men for twenty minutes before the three walked off to Bute Park, intending to find a gay man and beat him. Williams never met Edwards or Strickland before.
Potential Victim
Williams, Edwards, and Strickland had come across a man named Owain Hill while in Bute Park. Owain walked past the three who pushed him and apologized. Owain kept walking but had passed the group again on his way back. The second time he passed, news outlets report Williams offered Hill a drink. Owain declined, but the group insisted he stay to drink and have sex with them. Owain walked off with the group. According to WalesOnline, Owain stated, “They just wanted me to hang out with them and have a drink and some fun. They suggested going behind the Summerhouse Café and I kind of went along with it to see what would happen.” He stated that one of the males pushed the other onto him and was encouraging him to have fun and have sex.
Owain then explained that they settled by a seating area, and one man started smoking a joint (marijuana). Not wanting to smoke, Owain made up an excuse and left.
The Murder
Williams, Jason Edwards, and Lee Strickland then bumped into Dr. Gary Jenkins. It is unclear when they bumped into each other or how their interaction started, but at some point, the three started attacking Dr. Jenkins. A witness came upon the assault around 1am the morning of July 20, 2021. Louis Williams was leaving Bute Park when he heard a fight going. When he got closer to the noises, he saw a man on the ground who was being kicked by Williams, Edwards, and Strickland. The three were laughing and telling each other to punch and kick Dr. Jenkins.
Louis, who told the courts he wanted to intervene and was initially scared but started yelling at the attackers to stop. When Louis tried to stop the group himself, the group started hitting him, too. Louis, not being able to stop the attack himself ran to call for help (he did not have a cell phone). When he returned, Dr. Jenkins was still being beaten.
Owain (who had left the group earlier) was still in the park and heard the fight going on. He heard Dr. Jenkins screaming, “Why are you doing this to me?” Hill left the park to call police; his call came in at 1:08am. Hill did not see the attack, he only heard Dr. Jenkins’s pleas and the sounds of punching.
The assailants stole Dr. Jenkins’s belongings and left shortly after. Louis waited with Dr. Jenkins until police arrived.
Transcript of Attack
Part of the attack was caught on camera. Only 15 minutes of the estimated recording were caught on film. The recording started at 12:57am. This transcript was obtained from WalesOnline. Warning, it contains graphic content.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Transcript of Attack
Part of the attack was caught on camera. Only 15 minutes of the estimated recording were caught on film. The recording started at 12:57am. This transcript was obtained from WalesOnline. Warning, it contains graphic content.
Dr Jenkins: Leave me alone (Repeated)… For God’s sake, get off me… No… Can you help me… Get off me (Repeated).
Louis Williams: Get off him
Timms-Williams: Money…. Now
Dr Jenkins: Leave me alone… Anybody
Male voice: What is your name?
Dr Jenkins: Argh… I haven’t got any money… Argh… Please help me…. What are you doing?
Timms-Williams: Now
Male voice: Are you a poof?
Louis Williams: Leave him alone, stop it
Timms-Williams: F****** pig, f****** d***
Dr Jenkins: Help
Edwards: You’re a t***…. You f****** know you are
Timms-Williams: T***
Dr Jenkins: Please, please no… Stop, nothing left
Timms-Williams: Money
Dr Jenkins: Stop it, stop it (Repeated)… Argh that was…. Argh get off me, leave me alone
Male voice: Move
Dr Jenkins: Argh, stop it. Why?
Timms-Williams: Get down, get down….All over again…. Do it, do it
Male voice: Hit him
Timms-Williams: Hit him again Jo
Dr Jenkins: Argh… My arm.
Male voice: F****** (inaudible)
Dr Jenkins: Alone
Male voice: What
Male voice: F****** pikey
Timms-Williams: F****** c***, I don’t give a f***
Male voice: Going f****** down, will it be you?
Edwards: Stamp his head, stamp his head now, stamp his head bro
Male voice: You right poof, you are
Male voice: F****** d***
Dr Jenkins: Argh
Male voice: Go on… Keep going
Male voice: You wanna f*** with me, yeah? (Repeated)
Dr Jenkins: Argh
Male voice: Do it again, do it again. Do it like that.
Male voice: Yo
Timms-Williams: Oh d***
Dr Jenkins: Leave me alone
Timms-Williams: Seconds, seconds
Male voice: I would have smashed that poor f*****
Dr Jenkins: Argh
Male voice: Get that f******…
Male voice: We’re here to rob him
Male voice: I’ve got a….
Timms-Williams: Do it… he’s got loads of it, money now
Male voice: See what you find. Come on then old man,
Male voice: Sacred privilege
Male voice: I want it bigger; I want it bigger. Over the bridge.
Timms-Williams: All that
Male voice: Let me stamp on him again
Male voice: Give you anything
Timms-Williams: I don’t mind…. Thank you.
Strickland: Jason, Jason
Timms-Williams: Yeah, I needed that… I’m so… Oh wait…. I need to put…. I need to put my…..
Male voice: F*** off
Police Arrive
Police arrived on scene at 1:18am. Police tried calling out to him, not realizing the extent of the attack. When they came closer, they could see the man was bleeding and swollen. His pants were pulled down and his penis was exposed. Police also reported he had defecated himself as a result of the attack. Dr. Jenkins did not have any belongings or identification on him, so they did not know his identity at this time.
Police started CPR as they waited for an ambulance. The officer who was performing CPR stated Dr. Jenkins was making “a snoring noise as if he had blood in his mouth.”
When medics arrived at 1:28am, Dr. Jenkins started turning purple. The responding medic testified that “his breathing was noisy, and his head was flopping around. He had no muscle control or tone.” Medics and started to perform life-saving measures and transported him to the University Hospital of Wales.
Dr. Gary Jenkins Succumbs to his Injuries
Dr. Jenkins was in the hospital for two weeks before succumbing to his injuries on August 5, 2021.
- Bleeding in the space between the skull and brain and in several areas
- A fracture to a large bone which joins the jaw to the cheek
- A maxillary fracture in an area near the base of the nose
- A large amount of swelling to the right of the skull
- Grazing to left eyebrow, cheek, and front of neck
- Bruising to the chin
- Bruised and swollen eyelids
- Bruising to left upper arm and back of the arm
- Large amount of bruising on the left flank
- Bruising to inner left thigh and shin
- Multiple rib fracture
Dr. Jenkins’ death was ruled a homicide; his cause of death was blunt force head injury.
According to a statement the judge gave at the end of the trial, he stated Williams had been in mental health treatment when she was 14 for “overwhelming feelings of anxiety and anger” and that she had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
Arrest
Security footage shows Edwards escort Williams out the park. He gives her a hug before returning to Strickland, who was sitting on a park bench. A video captured the two men can be seen hugging and smiling. The men then get on a bicycle and ride around town.
Police spotted the duo around 2:10am. They stopped and arrested Strickland. When they searched Strickland, he had a card belonging to Dr. Jenkins, but told police it was a friend’s. Police did not know Dr. Jenkins’s identity and did not make the connection. Police let him go after 30 minutes. Edwards managed to evade police and was not searched.
Police connected Edwards and Strickland to the murder. Edwards was apprehended on July 21; Strickland July 23, 2021; and Williams July 26, 2021.
When Edwards was arrested, he made comments to the police about not being in a “dirty park.” When police asked what he meant by this, he stated that Bute Park is a place that gay men go to engage in sexual activities and that he would not be near such a place. He also told police he uses crack but is not an addict.
Edwards did not make any comments when interviewed.
Williams told police she had met both men that night and only joined in the attack because she was scared they would attack her too. She told police she felt helpless and scared for her own life. Williams explained to police that the extent of her involvement was a few kicks that were not hard and could not of hurt Dr. Jenkins.
Sentence
Edwards, Strickland, and Williams plead guilty to manslaughter, robbery, and assault.
On March 25, 2022, the offenders were sentenced.
Edwards and Strickland received a life sentence with the possibility of release after serving 33 years.
Williams was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of release after serving 18 years.