March 11, 2002 – A 39-year-old Smith Bay man was stabbed to death Monday afternoon at his home. Police identified the victim as Clayton Laurent, a native of Dominica.
Police Chief Novelle Francis said Laurent's companion, who was not identified, told investigators that she entered the home and came upon a masked individual struggling with Laurent. Francis said the woman told police a struggle ensued and she was able to wrestle the knife away from the assailant. Major Crime Unit detectives later found a knife believed to be the assailant's weapon in nearby bushes.
Francis declined to comment on possible motives for daylight stabbing. "The investigators are working on the information the witness has provided. We will go from there," he said Monday night.
Deputy Chief Theodore Carty stated in a release that Laurent sustained multiple stab wounds to his back and was found outside his one-story dwelling on the stairs leading to his backyard.
A citizen called 911 to report the stabbing to police at 2:59 p.m. Monday. According to Carty, the caller reported seeing an individual fleeing from the vicinity wearing a polo shirt, jeans and a stocking mask. Carty asked that anyone with information concerning the case call the Major Crime Unit at 715-5546.
Laurent's death is the fourth homicide on St. Thomas this year, and the seventh in the territory.
