Cockayne murder trial underway

[Lex]

http://www.onepaper.com/stjohnvi/?v=d&i ... 1222834063

[bevm]

We'll be following this case closely. Cockayne is from the area where my husband is a police officer.

[Connie]

I'll be watching it too. Hope the witnesses continue to come forward.

[Lex]

Day 2:

http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/i ... d=17629284

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[Connie]

They don't mention in that article what the perpetrators had in their system...drugs? alcohol?

Guess it was too late when they ran and hid.

It's always blame the victim. He didn't have a knife though, did he.

Hopefully justice will work in this case.

[Marcia (Mrs. Pete)]

We'll be following this case closely. Cockayne is from the area where my husband is a police officer.

Where have you been lately? Haven't seen you post much recently. Everything okay?

[sailorgirl]

I wouldn't be too sure about a conviction. According to the article there were no actual eyewitnesses, one guy said he turned away to avoid seeing the assailant as he ran away. Most of the prosecution's evidence seems to be statements which the defendants made to other people. The defense is poking holes in the motives of the statement witnesses and pointing out inconsistencies. I ddin't see anything about any forensic evidence unfortuately so it sounds like its a circumstantail case. Not that the circumstances aren't strong but the burden of proof is hard thing to meet.

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[sailorgirl]

I wouldn't be too sure about a conviction. According to the article there were no actual eyewitnesses, one guy said he turned away to avoid seeing the assailant as he ran away. Most of the prosecution's evidence seems to be statements which the defendants made to other people. The defense is poking holes in the motives of the statement witnesses and pointing out inconsistencies. I ddin't see anything about any forensic evidence unfortuately so it sounds like its a circumstantail case. Not that the circumstances aren't strong but the burden of proof is hard thing to meet.

I think maybe you should reread the article. The eyewitness said at first he looked away but later watched as the suspect ran down the street and got into a maroon car.

Correct, what I guess I meant was that the article does not say if the witness identifed who it was he saw run away. According to the information in the article the eyewitness, and the man refered to as Frazier, the occupant of the home to which the defendant Ward ran, gave inconsitent statments. The eye witness says he saw Ward run to Frazier's house, that a man was already outside the house and they both jumped into a car and drove off. Again, only according to the article, Frazer said that he was asleep, awakened by his GF after Ward knocked on the door and then gave him a ride.
Its these kinds of inconsistences that make it hard to meet the burden of proof.

[MrB]

Guilty verdict for the murder for one, Assault for the other 2. Looks like the jury only needed a day.

http://www.stjohntradewindsnews.com//in ... 0&Itemid=1

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[bevm]

I'm pleased to hear that. In spite of the fact that Jamie was a hothead and had some run-ins with our local police he didn't deserve to die that way. I honestly didn't expect the jury to decide so quickly and certainly didn't expect this outcome.

[bayer40601]

Sorry, something seems to be incorrect about the Tradewinds report. It says that Ward was found guilty of first and second degree murder. I'm not sure that can happen when you only have a single victim.

[Teresa_Rae]

So trials are the one and only thing not necessarily on island time in the USVIs?

I hope this verdict can bring some peace to Cockayne's family and friends.