Arrest Made (hopefully)

Pia · Post by **Pia** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 11:35 am

I have just heard that an arrest was made last night at 9:30pm. I am not 100% sure if this is true or another rumor - we are all praying that it is indeed correct.

I will keep you updated as soon as I hear "for sure"

Pia

CShell1019 · Post by **CShell1019** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 11:40 am

On one of the "other" boards a poster confirmed my question if it were true - that indeed there has been an arrest - and that the story appears in the Daily News. Had talked to friends on island this am and they had "heard" that it happened but if the paper is confirming it, that's a good ting.

Coden · Post by **Coden** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 11:52 am

Fingers crossed.

Pia · Post by **Pia** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 1:48 pm

OK - as reported in today's Daily News, an arrest was made Friday evening at 9:30pm. At this time he is being held without the possibility of bail and goes infront of a VI Superior Court Judge on Monday.

Excellent news all around.

Pia

captainvic · Post by **captainvic** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 2:06 pm

Thanks Pia,

Good to know that progress is being made prosecuting this crime. If others were involved, let's hope more arrests are forthcoming. Per Bert's remarks, though, I hope at least some of us will continue to keep our attention on this case. There's still a long way to go.

Captain Vic

kirk · Post by **kirk** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 2:42 pm

I posted this in the other thread.
CNN 360 is covering this story monday night.

Eric on St John · Post by **Eric on St John** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 3:10 pm

fwiw, i "hear" that 2 others are also now in custody. nothing official tho

sailorgirl · Post by **sailorgirl** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:24 pm

Heres a link to an article.
http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/

I want to acknowledge, gratefully, this forum for not degenerating into the non productive attacks which appeared on "other forums" , whew it got vicious.

RonUSVI · Post by **RonUSVI** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 12:33 am

See, when I said there were two sides to the story, here it is case in point. The FBI was in on the investigation as well as the family had been constantly updated. Here is the news article from the Source:

Aug. 5, 2007 – A St. John resident was arrested late Friday in the nationally publicized stabbing death of 21-year-old James "Jamie" Cockayne on St. John a little more than six weeks ago.
Police Commissioner James McCall said 18-year-old Kamal "Six Pack" Thomas of Gifft Hill was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault and using a dangerous weapon during the commission of a crime of violence.
Thomas is being held without bail. He will appear for an advice of rights hearing before Superior Court Judge Leon Kendall at 11 a.m. Monday.
Cockayne, who had recently moved to St. John, was stabbed to death some time after midnight on June 19 in downtown Cruz Bay. (See "Police Investigating Stabbing Death in Enighed") According to police reports, Cockayne was transported by ambulance to the Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center, where he was pronounced dead at 1:10 a.m.

Cockayne's parents, Jean and Bill Cockayne of New Hope, Penn., claimed they had received no information from V.I. police about the investigation into their son's death. In a FOX News report aired during "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren" on Tuesday, Cockaynes' parents complained that police failed to keep them updated on the investigation.
Several other national news outlets have weighed in on the local response to the murder, suggesting that V.I. officials were not acting quickly enough and didn't seem concerned about Cockayne's death. It was rumored Saturday that CNN had also come to the territory at the behest of the Cockaynes.
In a statement late Saturday from his office, the police commissioner said, "The Police Department and Office of the Attorney General have kept in regular communication with the Cockayne family," adding that the family was notified at the time the arrest was made.
The statement said the investigation is ongoing and asked that anyone with information contact police by calling 911 or Major Crime at 715-5544.
"We will continue to keep the family up to date with ongoing communication regarding this case as we continue our deliberate and thorough investigation," McCall said. He credited the FBI for their assistance in the ongoing investigation.
"The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation was contacted the day after the Cockayne homicide on June 20 and has been working in conjunction with us through the Safe Streets Initiative," McCall said.
The police commissioner also thanked the National Park Service for their help at the time of the incident. McCall said Park Service employees transported VIPD officers and detectives to St. John the night of the murder.

Rob7 · Post by **Rob7** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 7:32 am

Ron I have always respected you and what you say, but in all honesty.....this article is nothing but a reprint of a carefully worded police department press release and does nothing to address the effectiveness of the police.
I still doubt without all the national attention this story has received, there would have been this outcome.
How about solving all those other crimes that have never been resolved?

RonUSVI · Post by **RonUSVI** » Sun Aug 05, 2007 7:47 am

My statements have been made solely for the purpose of folks that have been talking about how bad things were here and the reaction of the police based solely on what Mrs Cockayne had stated the facts were. Now the police Commissioner has told something different from the way she represented it. I always held that there was another story. I am not defending the police in this statement rather I prefer the whole truth be told before someone jumps on the bandwagon based on one side of a story. It just didn't sound right.
And by the way, there have been some other arrests this week for other murders.

designbyroe · Post by **designbyroe** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:39 am

I have to weigh in on this one.
STJ got a new police commissioner, will that work and change things who knows.
Do I think there are problems yes, and they have always been there.
I do believe that a large amount of the crime the police know who does it and look the other way. Why I think they know the perpetrators(sp).
I think in a small community that happens alot.
You have law enforecment who may have family committing crimes and they look the other way.
STJ is just a small town.......just happens to be surrounded by water.
Yes, I do think by having Anderson Cooper and Greta cover it, it did get alot more involved.
We had the FBI a few years back when we had that arson at Meade Plaza and the racially motivated incident.

PA Girl · Post by **PA Girl** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:51 am

The was a short article in my local (podunk) paper this morning on the arrest. I can only assume they picked it off of the AP wire.

JLBear71 · Post by **JLBear71** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:32 am

Here is a little more to that article from the Philadelphia newspaper.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20070 ... aying.html

traveler22 · Post by **traveler22** » Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:46 am

I read a thread on another forum where a couple met a police officer on Virgin Gorda and he said that the BVI police are made up of "outsiders" and that the british government doesn't hire locals for the police force because of similar problem with the police either knowing or being related to the criminals!
Sounds like a good idea to me!

usvi-on-line