The Life And Death Of Marlon ‘Duppy Film’ Perry: Jamaica’s Most Wanted

Made in JamaicaDecember 19, 2023

On Wednesday the 3rd of June 2015, the police listed Marlon Perry or Duppy Film of Phillips Field in Yallahs St Thomas, as a wanted man. The lawmen stated that he was 173 cm or 5 feet 8 inches tall and he was wanted in connection with murders and other crimes in the parish.

It was known that he frequented Poor Man’s Corner, Logwood and Pond Side in St Thomas where he haunted many with terror for more than 6 years.

His Aunt revealed that Perry had a speech impediment as a child, as a result, he became an outcast in the community, he would stutter when he spoke and he was small and couldn’t fight hence boys would beat him and they also took away his money.

This caused him to promise to become a killer when he grew up, so he could kill the boys who mocked and teased him as a boy. It’s unclear if he managed to kill the persons who hurt him in his youth.

The Life of Marlon 'Duppy Film' Perry Jamaica's Most Wanted — ‘Duppy Film’ Perry Father

Donovan Perry his dad, was convicted when his son was 8 years old and spent 12 years in prison as he was convicted of a shooting-related crime. He said Marlon’s mother was not there for him as he grew up. He and other family members asked Marlon to turn himself in when he heard that the police were looking for him.

Duppy Film came under the police radar in 2010 following the murder of Thomas Lane, and he was said to be responsible for a number of the illegal guns that entered Jamaica because he was a big player in the guns for drugs trade.

He was wanted for the murder of 2 policemen, Corporal Kenneth Davis and Constable Craig Palmer, they were gunned down at a shop at Poorman’s corner in the parish and he was responsible for a murder in Haiti as well.

The commissioner of police Dr. Carl Williams said the killing would not dampen the efforts of the force to get rid of criminals, he also said the killer would be hunted down like no other criminal was ever hunted down before, he promised the family of the slain Cops that the criminal would be caught. The nephew of a senior officer was also killed allegedly by Perry as well.

The police set up several drag nets to catch Perry but he normally escaped.

At one time it was rumored that a popular politician helped him to leave the island on a boat that took him to Haiti after he was hiding out on the South Coast. It was said that he also changed his appearance by bleaching his skin, growing a beard sometimes and shaving at other times, he used this to escape arrest numerous times. He was skilled at evading the police while his gang members were often caught or killed.

An Uzi submachine gun, a Glock and ammunition, were found after a shootout between the police and the Gangsters, on one occasion, the police said Perry had the Uzi everywhere he went it was his weapon of choice.

The gangsters went to hide before the police and the Military killed one of them near Cross Keys. It was reported that Perry was linked to at least 16 murders. He was on the run since 2010 and he was a suspect in a shooting that took place in 2007 as well.

He was wanted for a triple murder in St Thomas, the parish of his birth, and he was also a suspect in a shooting that took place in 2013.

An increase in the bounty of $1 million was offered to anyone who gave information that led to an arrest of the suspect. The urgency to catch Perry increased when he started sending death threats to the officers using text messages; this caused the bounty on his head to go up to $1.5 million.

In 2016, the Assistant Commissioner of Police Derrick “Cow Boy” Knight said, he would do all he could do to catch the gangster, even if he needed to sleep in his car at nights.

He thought the residents should not be held hostage by gangsters, even though some of the residents had sentiments toward Perry as they saw him as a Robinhood, he said.

Duppy Film believed in the occult and obeah, the police also reported.

He didn’t even trust his own shadow, and he travelled to Haiti by boat. He usually gets properly oiled with the oil he got from the Obeah workers before he goes out to do his wicked acts, as he wants to avoid an arrest.

The last time Perry took on a joint police and army combined team, the reputed leader of the Duppy Flames gang was killed at a small Guest House in St. Thomas. His last night was spent in an air-conditioned room that had a big TV for his entertainment and he had just eaten fish before he died. He was pronounced dead at St Margaret’s Bay Hospital after he was shot in a downstairs room in a shoot-out.

The police said he was wearing combat gear and he had a bulletproof vest.

As he lived he died at age 27, clutching his gun, his favourite weapon, several weapons were also found at the scene.

One of the weapons found in his room belonged to a licensed firearm holder, this was confirmed after investigations were done.

2 men were taken in by the police, it is possible that they escaped and left him in the room when the shoot-out began.

The gang leader was buried in November 2017, only a few family members were at his funeral, the casket was closed, and after his reign of terror, it was said that his family members were struggling to finance his funeral.

Made in JamaicaDecember 19, 2023