Murder victim Marcus Gibbings was allegedly involved in an altercation in the weeks leading up to his death, Police have revealed.

Officers unveiled their fresh lead as they continue to investigate the death of the 32-year-old Trinidadian, who was found stabbed to death at a Devonshire apartment on Thursday, October 26.

Yesterday ? 33 days after Mr. Gibbings was killed ? Police appealed for witnesses to the alleged argument, which took place in the City of Hamilton.

However, the victim?s father, Richard Gibbings, said he spoke to his son days before he was murdered and received no indication he had been involved in a row.

Mr. Gibbings Sr. described his son as a ?happy-go-lucky guy? who would walk away from trouble.

Police have so far taken 143 statements from friends, colleagues and other people associated with Mr. Gibbings Jr, who moved to the Island nine years ago.

At a press conference yesterday, Police confirmed they believe Mr. Gibbings was deliberately targeted by the killer and re-appealed for anybody who saw the victim after 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 25, to come forward.

Acting Insp. Robert Cardwell, of the Serious Crime Unit, told the conference: ?Mr. Gibbings was brutally attacked in a residence on Derwent Lane, Devonshire, with a bladed weapon.

?Police are satisfied that nothing was stolen from the residence or from Mr. Gibbings in this attack. The scene and other information collected in the course of this investigation suggest Mr. Gibbings was the target of his assailant.

?Information has been received by the investigating team that alleges Mr. Gibbings was involved in an altercation of some kind with an unknown person or persons, somewhere in the City of Hamilton, in the weeks leading up to his death.

?This incident was allegedly witnessed by at least one person. We are appealing to that person or anyone else who may have seen this incident or who may have heard about this incident to contact the Serious Crime Unit.?

When asked whether the investigation was ?slow-going? with nobody charged more than one month after the murder, A/Insp. Cardwell replied: ?The investigation progresses daily.?

A/Insp. Cardwell said a 59-year-old man was arrested on Friday for obstructing the investigation. He is currently on Police bail.

When asked to confirm reports describing the arrested man as a former Police officer, Bermuda Police Service spokesman Dwayne Caines said last night: ?We are not saying anything more about the man.?

One person, understood by to be a woman, was arrested earlier this month before being released on bail in connection with the murder.

Mr. Gibbings Sr. ? who lives in Trinidad ? said yesterday: ?I spoke to my son on the Sunday before he died, and he did not mention anything like an altercation. He was basically quite happy. I didn?t detect anything in his voice.

?He was full of fun ? a person that couldn?t say no, not the sort of person who would get into any altercation.

?He would walk away from that sort of thing. He was not a hot-headed sort of person.

?I?m surprised if something like that happened to him. It would be out of character because he was a happy-go-lucky guy.?

Mr. Gibbings has previously accused Police of ignoring information about a possible suspect in the case, and wrote to the Trinidad and Tobago Government about the matter earlier this month.

However, he said he now accepted the case was going to take longer than he had hoped.

?I thought it was a bit slow, but I guess the Police need information before they can charge anybody. I just want to have this thing complete and move on.?

Anybody who saw anything suspicious in the area of Derwent Lane, Roberts Avenue or the Glebe Road, in Devonshire, should contact the investigation team at 299-4239 or Crimestoppers on 1-800-623-8477.