Friends and acquaintances describe Stephen Antoine "Chicken" Symons as a hard working professional and entrepreneur who made friends easily.

His immediate family members could not be reached by press time last night.

"He was just funny and entertaining, easy to talk to," said friend Marionette Simmons.

Some years ago Mr. Symons founded Karaoke Productions with his brother Shawn Symons.

"I last saw him June 13," recalled Ms Simmons. "He was doing karaoke at the Wine Cellar at Southampton Princess."

Fort Knox CEO Troy Symonds said he knew Mr. Simons as a "pretty hard worker". "The guy was very focused - when it came to business and enjoyed a new project. He was almost everybodies friend. He could never say no, but he always liked a challenge. Everybody liked Stephen and if there was any kind of weakness it was that he worked too hard, which is typical of entrepreneurs."

Ms Yvonne Douglas, secretary of the Police Service's eastern division, knew Stephen for about eight years. She described him as a "very enthusiastic worker".

"He is a person that will go out of his way to do something. He never refused. I found him to be very poised and very nice to me. In all Stephen was a very good person and a very hard working person. When things went up or down he was still Stephen."

She added: "He was a real cop. As an off duty person he was still on duty."