Cold Case Bat Attack - Two Years After Fatal Beating, Cops Arrest Suspect

After a two-year manhunt, cops arrested Jowayney Francis in the beating death of Jean Civilne. -Photo by NYPD

By Dan Gesslein 

Bronx Voice

September 23, 2023

BRONX - Two years after a hardworking Haitian immigrant was beaten to death with a baseball bat, police have arrested a second suspect in the murder.

Police announced the arrest of Jowayney Francis in connection with the 2020 murder of Jean Civilne. Cops said the Haitian immigrant was bashed in the back of the head with a baseball bat.

Jowayney, 32, of Queens was charged with murder, manslaughter, assault and criminal possession of a weapon two years after the murder.

No word for the motive for the vicious murder has been given.

At around 3:30 pm on March 20, 2020, Civilne was walking down White Plains Road and 224th Street. Cops said Civilne was struck repeatedly in the back of the head with a baseball bat.

Civilne was taken to Jacobi Medical Center where he hung on for almost a month. On April 10, 2020 Civilne died.

Jean Civilne

Shortly after Civilne’s death, police arrested Highbridge resident Richard Smith. 

Police immediately identified Francis as a suspect and had been looking for him for two years. It is unclear what finally led to the man’s arrest.