by Michael Z. Muhammad

PHILADELPHIA (FinalCall.com)�Melancholy hangs over the MOVE compound like a heavy cloud as a custody dispute has spiraled into a homicide investigation.

John Gilbride Jr., 34, former husband of senior MOVE member Alberta Africa who was at the center of an angry custody battle with the religious group MOVE over unsupervised visits with his son, was found shot to death, execution style, at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 27.

According to news accounts, the killer was very familiar with Mr. Gilbride. He was bushwhacked as he returned to his New Jersey home from his job as a baggage supervisor for US Airways at Philadelphia International Airport. After parking his car, he was gunned down in a hail of bullets, shattering the glass on the driver�s side window.

He was left for dead with his car still running, radio blaring and windshield wipers on. Police said an automatic weapon was used. The shooting occurred in a residential area but neighbors heard nothing, police said, of the murder that had all the trappings of a professional hit.

It came after an acrimonious week in which MOVE held a demonstration in Cherry Hill, N.J., and barricaded their southwest Philadelphia home in preparation for a confrontation with authorities following what they termed an illegal court order that allowed Mr. Gilbride unsupervised visits with his 6-year-old son Zachary.

Pam Africa, a MOVE spokesperson, told The Final Call the organization was deeply saddened by the death of Mr. Gilbride.

"He was with us for 10 years and we cared for him," Ms. Africa said. "MOVE believes in love, not hate, and MOVE never hated John Gilbride."

Ms. Africa said she and her organization are clear that the murder was committed by the government to escalate the current situation. She likened the situation to the recent human rights meeting held in Durban, South Africa, where the United States walked out and subsequently September 11, 2001 happened.

"MOVE is committed to protecting our children but we�re not killers or murderers. Our real fight has always been this rotten government, not with John Gilbride, because MOVE is very clear on who the real enemy is here. John was nothing but a pawn," Ms. Africa said.

A statement issued by the International Friends of Move Network stated that the murder was another attempt to destroy the organization.

"Rather than take the opportunity to finally do the right thing by MOVE, they instead chose to escalate the situation by murdering the father. They knew that John Gilbride had the potential to come back to MOVE � so they upped the ante. They took a man�s life, a father away from a child, a son from his parents, and widowed a woman to further persecute the MOVE organization."

Burlington County Prosecutor Robert D. Bernardi told the press that investigators were pursuing some leads in the killing. He said they would probably want to talk with MOVE members, specifically Alberta Africa.

To this Pam Africa retorted that MOVE had nothing to hide. She said that early on in the custody dispute MOVE had Common Pleas Judge Howard Rosenberg over to their home. He subsequently issued an order allowing Mr. Gilbride to see his son during supervised visits.

Following his retirement, another judge, Shelly Robbins New, granted Mr. Gilbride unsupervised visits every other weekend to the great consternation of MOVE, who contend he was abusive to both his wife and son.

Mr. Gilbride�s attorney, Sheryl Rentz, said that despite the picture MOVE painted, he was an upstanding citizen who was dedicated to his son.

"He had good values. He was a good person, a strong person," Ms. Rentz said.