Omar Collymore stood to collect a $77 million life-insurance payout if his wife, Simone Campbell-Collymore, were to die. But a love triangle emerged, followed by a volley of bullets that struck both his wife and the taxi driver she relied on in St. Andrew, Jamaica, and accusations of murder began to swirl.
The 41-year-old businessman is currently standing trial on charges that he hired a hitman to take out wife Simone Campbell-Collymore in 2018, and new disturbing revelations have come to light during his testimony this week.
Omar, a Barbados-born American citizen, testified recently that he tried to flee Jamaica, fearing for his life, on the very day of his wife’s funeral.
In court, he disclosed that he came under fire while inside a car-insurance office in Kingston soon after his wife’s death, an ambush that forced him to the hospital, where a U.S. Embassy official visited him and urged heightened precautions.
Following his discharge from the hospital, Omar went to the U.S. Embassy, where he was advised to depart the island for his safety; embassy personnel ultimately escorted him to the airport.
When questioned by prosecutor Andrea Martin-Swaby about the odd timing of his exit, the widower insisted he had not known a funeral for his late wife was scheduled, arguing that he had not had his phone with him, according to the Jamaica Gleaner.
Just before takeoff, Omar was detained for questioning regarding the brazen daylight shooting at his wife and the taxi driver, Winston Walters. After being released by the police, he reportedly kept a low profile at a guest house, later telling the court that he selected that site because he shared pleasant memories there with his wife.
Over the course of their strained marriage, Omar embarked on a three-year affair with an unnamed woman, and his recent testimony provides insight into the dynamics of that liaison. When questioned by prosecutor Andrea Martin-Swaby, he disclosed that he had invested 3 million dollars into a company controlled by his mistress—despite his wife’s assertions that their businesses were financially behind. He maintained that in 2017 he attempted to recover the funds but failed.
Described in court as a gym trainer, his lover denied receiving any direct financial gains from Omar. She did acknowledge, however, that he paid her rent and funded international trips, including visits to his home in Miami, according to the Jamaican Gleaner.
Previously, she testified that she had launched an ice cream venture with Omar and a male friend, though both parties withdrew from the project before it commenced, and she could not recall the amount of seed money or other funds he had supplied.
Omar and Campbell-Collymore were married in 2010 and soon after relocated to Jamaica, where they resided with Campbell-Collymore’s parents until the affair began to destabilize their marriage.
Evidence emerged from messages shown in court indicating that Campbell-Collymore was initially willing to reconcile. Yet as months went by, divorce or separation loomed, and she even contemplated signing over luxury cars to sever all connections with him. It was also noted that Omar was financially strained and had sought her help prior to her death.
Wade Blackwood, identified as a member of the Unruly Gang, is one of two individuals recorded firing at Campbell-Collymore in video footage of the attack. He was convicted in 2021 after pleading guilty to two counts of murder and illegal firearm possession, receiving two life sentences, later reduced to life with the possibility of parole after twenty years.
Although Omar stood to gain millions from his wife’s death, Campbell-Collymore’s former insurance agent testified in April that Omar sought two extra policies with a $10 million critical-illness rider, despite his wife already possessing one policy, adding further suspicion to the case against the widower. His co-defendant, Michael Crayboss Adams, is accused of also participating in the plot.
