A motion is pending in the Family Division of the U.S. Virgin Islands Superior Court to try the five teenage suspects as adults in the death of St. Thomas resident William Hyde.
Attorney General Vincent Frazer said Monday that the Department of Justice filed the motion about two weeks ago and that arguments have been heard.
Because the case is a juvenile case, until such time as the court grants the motion all records on the case are sealed, and Frazer said he cannot comment in any way on the details, other than to confirm that Justice is seeking to try the suspected as adults.
If the court grants the motions, new charges will be filed, Frazer said, but until then he cannot say anything.
Hyde was a longtime St. Thomas resident who had been beaten and left for dead on Nov. 23 at Magens Bay.
According to reports issued at the time by the V.I. Police Department, Hyde was assaulted by five young men, ages 16 and 17, who set up Hyde using his well-known willingness to help people in need. Police said one of the five who knew Hyde, called him and said he needed a ride, knowing that Hyde was always willing to help.
When Hyde arrived, police said, the five young men commandeered his vehicle and drove him to Magens Bay, where they beat him severely and left him in the public restrooms.
Hyde was found the next morning in the women’s shower at the beach park. He had no identification and after two days the police issued a call to the community to help identify the "John Doe" lying unconscious in the Schneider Regional Medical Center.
Hyde’s co-workers and friends said the description sounded like their friend and they contacted police.
Hyde never regained consciousness, but friends who visited him at the hospital said they saw his eyes moving under closed lids and other signs that at some level he was reacting to their presence. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was transferred to a hospital in Florida. He was taken off of life support and died a week later, on Dec. 17.
