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Homicides 2013

1– STT

1 – Territory

Date of death – Jan. 20

Police called to Estate Hospital Ground on a report of shots fired discovered an unresponsive man in a parked blue Honda. He had been shot several times and died on the scene. The man was identified by family members as Lucas Reid Jr.

2 – STT

2 – Territory

Date of death – Jan. 20

Police responded to a call from 911 emergency dispatcher of a "deceased person’ on Garden Street. The call was logged at 8:07 p.m. The victim was later identified as Sunny Rodriguez, 41. An arrest was made.

1 – STX

3 – Territory

Date of death – Feb. 16

Police responding to a call of shots fired at the David Jackson Housing Terrace in Christiansted shortly after 3:15 p.m. found Winston Phillips of Bassin Triangle unresponsive on the ground. Emergency medical technicians arrived on the scene and confirmed there were no vital signs.

3 – STT

4 – Territory

Date of death – March 4

The body of 38-year-old Jean Attognol, a Haitian national, was found by V.I. Police Department officers at about 8:15 a.m. in a car at the old Texaco Gas Station near the Nadir intersection. The victim was found slumped over in the drivers’ seat of a pickup truck. Police said the body appeared to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Preliminary investigation determined Attignol was shot several hours earlier at that location. However, 911 emergency operators did not receive reports of shots fired in that area. Emergency medical technicians said Attignol died at the scene.

4 – STT

5 – Territory

Date of death – March 17

The body of 49-year-old Dave James, a resident of Estate Anna’s Retreat, was found unresponsive on the Smith Bay Road, a victim of gunshot victims.

2 – STX

6 – Territory

Date of death – April 13

Officers responding to a report of gunshots at about 9 p.m. Saturday, April, 13, at Mutual Homes found the body of 22-year-old Akeem Phillip. Forensic detectives collected evidence, including several spent shell casings.

3 – STX

7 – Territory

Date of death – April 19

Troy Joseph, 22, was shot and killed behind the Student Center at the University of the Virgin Islands’ St. Croix campus. The incident occured between 11:20 to 11:30 p.m. Friday, while an end-of-the-semester tramp and party was occurring elsewhere on campus. Joseph was not a UVI student, according to the university. Witnesses told police they saw at least one person approach Joseph, who shouted for help and said he was being robbed. There4 was at least one shot, and the unidentified figure fled the scene, according to the preliminary report.

5 – STT

8 – Territory

Date of death – May 20

Vasheo Donastorg, an 18-year-old from St. Thomas, was shot and killed on Lime Street in Estate Tutu. Police were told that the victim was washing his car on the roadway when several shots were heard. Residents called 911 and the victim was pronounced dead a few minutes after 10:30 p.m. at Schneider Hospital.

6 – STT

9 – Territory

Date of death – May 21

A man, later identified as 38-year-old Victor Manuel Otano Beltre, a native of the Dominican Republic, was found shot to death on the Tabor and Harmony road. Police were notified of this shooting about 11:30 p.m., but when detectives from the Major Crimes unit canvassed the neighborhood, residents reported hearing shots about two hours earlier, at 9:30 p.m.

According to the initial police report, the victim – whose name has not been released by police at this time – was found in the driver’s seat of a gray Toyota Camry. EMTs were unable to locate any vital signs on the victim. He was then taken by ambulance to the Schneider Regional Medical Center, while Forensic Crime Scene technicians collected several shell casings from the scene.

4 – STX

10 – Territory

Date of death – May 28

In what police are calling a murder-suicide, two women were found dead from gunshot wounds in an Estate Smithfield home. Cathy Weikel, 56, was the victim.

5 – STX

11 – Territory

Date of death – June 3

37-year-old Andy J. Peters, also known as “Pankido,” was found shot to death in the Lorraine Village Apartments in Estate Grove Place. According to the police, a monitoring bracelet was attached to Peters’ left ankle when his body was found. Police said Peters was awaiting trial for a 2011 gun possession charge. He had been incarcerated for more than a decade following a conviction on a 1996 first-degree murder conviction.

7 – STT

12 – Territory

Date of death – June 6

The body of a man who had suffered multiple gunshot wounds was found at about 6 a.m. June 6 in Smith Bay, near Coral World. Police sought the public’s help in identifying the victim. He was described as being about 40 to 45 years old, with a dark complexion, standing about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, slim with a low hair cut and a thin beard. He was wearing blue jeans and a white, long-sleeved shirt. He was wearing a wrist band from Tootsie’s Gentleman’s Club.

6 – STX

13 – Territory

Date of Death – June 15

Police responding to a call of a gunshot victim in Estate Williams Delight at about 2:20 p.m. found Jose Bess, 21, on the ground, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to the Juan F. Luis Memorial Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

8 – STT

14 – Territory

Date of Death – June 19

According to the V.I. Police Department, officers were notified of a shooting about 1 a.m. When they arrived on the scene, offices saw the unresponsive victim face down on a road in Estate Fredenhoj.

Emergency medical technicians who attempted to assist the victim said they could not detect any vital signs. Police later identified the victim as 41-year-old Patroy Williams, a native of Jamaica who resided in Estate Fredenhoj.

7 – STX

15 – Territory

Date of death – July 3

The body of 17-year-old Rosalie Figueroa was discovered Thursday in an abondoned swimming pool on the north side of St. Croix. The girl had been missing since the afternoon before when she left her home. Police are seeking information on who she went with and where she might have been.

8 – STX

16 – Territory

Date of death – July 7

Sheldon Phillips, 31, was in the drivers’ seat of his vehicle when he was shot outside of a private party in Estate Butler’s Bay north of Frederiksted. The victim was taken to the hospital in a private vehicle and pronounced dead by medical personnel a few minutes before 5 a.m. July 7.

9 – STX

17 – Territory

Date of death – July 8

Akim Hyndman, 32, was shot in the torso on the evening of July 7 and died at Roy L. Schneider Hospital on July 8, despite emergency surgery. Police responded to a call of a man with a gunshot wound at the Lima Company Fire Station.

Preliminary investigations revealed Hyndman was in the vicinity of Tutu Hi-Rise when he was shot by an unknown assailant. He drove himself to the Lima Company Fire Station to seek assistance. He told police he did not see who shot him.

10, 11 – STX

18, 19 – Territory

Date of death – July 9

Keyna Lawrence, 28, and her 7-year-old son, Devontae Charles, were found dead in Estate Glynn. Police responded to the scene about 2:10 p.m.

12 – STX

20 – Territory

Date of death – July 11

Humphrey Balson, 61, an inmate at Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility, was stabbed and killed at the prison, and another inmate – Ralph Brathwaite, 45 – was arrested and charged with the crime. According to the police report, several staff witnesses saw the suspect approach the victim and stab him one time to his upper right chest area. Balson was taken to Juan F. Luis Hospital and was declared dead about 2:15 p.m.

13 – STX

21 – Territory

Date of death – July 22

Earl Charles, 57, was found dead in a burned out vehicle.

14 — STX

22 — Territory

Date of death – Aug. 3

Julian Viera, 21, was arrested and charged with homicide in a fatal incident that took place at 6:20 a.m. on Market Street, between King and Company Streets in downtown Christiansted. The victim, 38-year-old Ronald Coulon was a native of the Dominican Republic.

9 – STT

23 – Territory

Date of death – Aug. 24

Police responding to a call of shots fired at 1:25 a.m. on Back Street found the body of 41-year-old Gregory LaBlanc of Estate Wintberg. Emergency medical personnel found no signs of life. Police are continuing to investigate.

10 – STT

24 – Territory

Date of death – Sept. 24

Avery Martin, 27, died of multiple gunshot wounds. Police were dispatched to a call of shots fired at about 6:40 p.m. in Hospital Ground. When officers arrived on the scene they saw Martin lying in the street with several gunshot wounds to his body. He was transported to the Schneider Regional Medical Center, and was later identified by family members.

15 – STX

25 – Territory

Date of death – Sept. 26

Police responded to a call indicating that a man was holding another man at gunpoint and asking people in the area to call 911. Before units could arrive at the location, a caller told 911 that at least one shot had been fired. When officers arrived on the scene they found the injured victim lying on the ground. Emergency medical technicians on the scene said the victim, later identified as Jose Edgardo Rivera Berrios, 43, was unresponsive. He was taken to the Juan F. Luis Memorial Hospital and pronounced dead by medical staff.

16 – STX

26 – Territory

Date of death – Sept. 29

At about 6:45 p.m. Sunday. 911 emergency dispatchers reported receiving several calls regarding a shooting at Cane Bay. When officers arrived on the scene they found 30-year-old Leodel Isles of St. Croix lying in an open field near the Eat at Cane Bay restaurant. Emergency medical technicians on the scene said he was unresponsive. The victim was taken to Juan F. Luis Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

11, 12 – STT

27, 28 – Territory

Date of death – Sept. 29

At about 11:25 p.m. the V.I. Police were dispatched to the Frenchtown Fish Market, where they discovered 27-year-old Andre Christian shot and unresponsive. A second victim, 22-year-old Alphonso Queeman, was taken to the Roy Schneider Regional Medical Center in critical condition. He died at 8:51 p.m. Oct. 1. Police said the victims were at the rear of the French Town Fish Market when an argument turned physical and shots were fired.

13, 14 – STT

29, 30 — Territory

Date of death – Oct. 14

A man and woman were killed and another man wounded in a shooting incident early Monday morning at Coki Point, according to the V.I. Police Department. Police have identified the slain woman as Akilah Godet, age 35. The man killed was Jumore Lewis, 20. A 23-year old male was also shot in his leg. He was taken to the Schneider Regional Hospital by police for treatment. Detectives said the incident occurred just after 2 a.m. Monday at the Coki Point Beach Bar. According to police, there was a large gathering at the venue when several patrons became involved in a melee and one or more individuals began shooting.

17 – STX

31 – Territory

Date of death – Oct. 24

Police responded to a call about a shooting at about 8:45 p.m. at the Mutual Homes Apartments in Estate Grove Place. Officers on the scene found Kendall Freeman, 23, sitting on a chair outside the building; he was unresponsive. Freeman had been shot several times while in the vicinity of Building 13. Emergency Medical Technicians on the scene said the victim did not have any vital signs.

15 – STT

32 – Territory

Date of death – Nov. 8

An employee of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, 33-year-old Akil Greig, was shot and killed at the BMV, apparently as the result of an argument. Officers were called to the scene at about 11 a.m. The preliminary investigation showed that Greig was shot inside the inspector’s lounge located in the shed behind the vehicle inspection area.

18 – STX

33 – Territory

Date of death: Nov. 18

A 42-year-old man was fatally shot on a Frederiksted area beach. Police were notified of the incident at about 2:30 p.m. Monday. The woman said she and her husband were swimming near the Target Wall beach, which is not far from the Vincent Mason Coral Beach Pool, when her husband decided to get out of the water. The wife said she remained in the water for a while. When she went to where her husband was, she found him unresponsive and suffering with a gunshot wound. When she contacted police she told them that she did not hear any gunshots and did not see people or vehicles in the area.

19 – STX

34 – Territory

Date of death: Dec. 26

20-year-old Mervin Sylvester died when he was hit by multiple gunshots at the Mutual Homes Housing community. Police said the incident happened at about 9:15 p.m. Officers dispatched to the scene found the unresponsive body of the victim lying on the sidewalk, dressed in black shorts, a black shirt and black slippers. Emergency medical technicians said the victim displayed no signs of life.

15 – STT

35 – Territory

Date of death: Dec. 27

An Estate Nadir man was shot Dec. 26 and died of his wounds the following day. According to police, the victim told officers he had returned home to find a man leaving his back yard. The two scuffled, and the victim was shot. He underwent surgery at the Schenider Regional Medical Center and died at about 6:25 p.m. The victim was later identified as Alwyn Cornelius Samuel.

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