USVI-On-Line

Long time reader and contributor here, who just became aware of the censorship problem on that "other" (Trip Advisor) STJ travel board. This pertains to the murder of Jamie Cockayne - a 21 year-old tourist - in June. He was killed under the Tamarind tree on the sidewalk outside of the DPW trailer in Cruz Bay. The boy's mother left the island under some vague threats to her safety because the murderers have not been brought to justice, and started a campaign asking people to call their Senators, Representatives, VI authorities, etc., to bring closure to the case. This is another case, like David Geiger's murder in 2005, where the parents have hired a PI to solve the case. (For David's murder, STJ residents actually had to collect the money to hire the PI.) So far the VI police have released nothing, but apparently the PI has turned up some solid evidence. Unfortunately, the other forum chose to delete all of those posts. To me, this is contrary to everything that a travel forum is supposed to offer, so I would like to post this, which another reader captured from the Trip Advisor forum (before it, too was deleted). Also, I would like to see the case solved - not forgotten - and to let the tourists make their own decisions based on the information that's available. So if you don't mind, Anthony, here it is. And in keeping with Sunburn's advice, I, too, will boycot the Trip Advisor forum (not that I ever go anywhere!)

peace.... bert

"Posted by: Sunburn Kid (IP Logged)
Date: Yesterday, 07:39PM
This was posted to the Trip Advisor STJ travel forum today. I'll bet the ranch that the post will be gone by the time you try to read it.

Over the past couple of days I have been following the story of the young tourist who was stabbed to death 150 feet from the police station in Cruz Bay. The mother of the murder victim posted an impassioned plea for help in bringing the murderers to justice. Other family members wrote with specifics of the case, and it became clearer that there was police incompetence involved. Today, I watched as the Trip Advisor administrators deleted every trace of those postings. One had grown to six pages. Two more were started and quickly deleted. Then someone brought the thread about the tourist who was beaten with a shovel - 150 feet from the police station, last year - to the top of the queue, and it too, was deleted. That thread was over a year old.

I have never posted on this forum before, but this has outraged me. Trip Advisor's slogan is "get the truth. then go". Where is the truth in the case of this crime? What is Trip Advisor's liability if somebody gets half the truth from rip Advisor, then goes, then gets killed?

I am certain that this thread will be quickly deleted too. I am sure that it is Trip Advisor's best interest to delete all these scary (but real) crime reports, to keep the board upbeat and keep the tourists using Trip Advisor. For me, I will just keep on NOT using Trip Advisor. There are some other forums out there that allow the truth.

I encourage all who might read this before it is deleted, to copy it and re-post it here or on the other boards or send it to your local newspaper. They love local color! Enough is enough. Let's have the truth for a change. Let's give all the readers credit for having enough sense to make an informed decision about where they vacation.

Go ahead, Trip Advisor - make my day."

I've seen this on Trip Advisor, and I bit my tongue, but now you've brought it here. This isn't a social justice board, it's not a police blotter board, it's a travel forum. It's not censorship when a forum deeps a post inappropriate, no matter how impassioned you may be about the cause. I doubt if Anthony will pull it, and I'm sure there'll be 100 sad and sorrowful posts, but I agree with Trip Advisor. It serves no purpose but to make people fearful about crime on STJ, to make them afraid to come. I feel confident in saying most of us feel extremely safe on the island. If an injustice has been done, that is a good topic for you to take up with law enforcement, with legislators, with the media. I resent you bringing it here.

Robin

Unfortunately, Bert, the TA forums state quite clearly in the posting TOS that they do not allow posts regarding violent crimes.

I don't necessarily agree with it, but it's their forum and their rules and regulations and they can delete the posts if they see fit to do so.

The crime in question was terrible, and we all feel awful for the parents of Jamie, but posting in travel forums may not be the best way to communicate to others about having justice served.

Just my 2 cents

I had decided not to post this comment, but now that I am reading these postings, I have decided to anyway. We love St John, and have visited many times, but are now aware that it is not the totally safe place many think it is. We are not a family who is out past dinner - always back at our villa by 8 or so, but in late May we had a very scary experience. A local who was obviously drunk, high, or both rammed our Jeep Libery with his truck from behind. When our driver got out to investigate, the guy said, "what's the matter, haven't you been robbed before?" We basically got the he## out of there, quickly. We didn't report it to the police, because we knew that it would be a waste of our time. The vehicle wasn't damaged because he rammed the spare tire on the back.
No, we were not in a place we shouldn't have been - it was at the intersection by the Moravian Church.

I am posting this because I have been upset with the local police who only get excited at ticketing people trying to load and unload at the ferry dock. We will continue to vacation on St John, but our eyes will be wide open. I do think that something can be done to help the family of the slain young man find the answers they need.

I too, think that the VI police are to be blamed for such a horrible situation. My heart goes out to the family and I hope that justice is served.

INfamily, I am sorry to hear about your ordeal as well.

That being said, I agree with STJgal. These are travel forums and most people that post on them are not locals,excepting for our local experts. Posts regarding the incompetent police dept will not do anything to help the investigation but they can steer potential visitors away, that will only hurt the economy of the island and those that live and work there.

Just my .02 cents.

Readers depend on a travel forum for advice and options. I imagine that people assume (bad word, I know) that they are getting non-partisan advice that covers the spectrum honestly and openly. How reliable can a travel forum's rating of a property be, for example, or a restaurant review, for another example, if the forum deletes anything it wants? What better place to talk about it than here?

Perhaps a more important issue is that everybody on St. John needs the police to keep them safe and also, indirectly, for our livelihoods. If the police don't change tourists may decide to go elsewhere. Unfortunately that would hurt everybody, locals and tourists alike.

Nuff said.

bert ... out.

Does anyone have a suggestion on how we can do something (outside of the forum) to help this situation?

DELETED

I was hoping that someone with more tenure here than I would say what Jorge said. If the St John police are incompetent, then that fact should be disclosed. It isn't the forum's job to cover for them by not mentioning it. I still love St John and when I'm not there, I plan on how to get there, what I will do there, where I'll eat, etc. just like most of the folks who post here do. I just have to be careful there like anyplace else. It's still one of the most fabulous places I've ever been.

The "crime issue" comes up on these board from time to time. It's unpleasant. Personally, I think that there is a place for them here, within reason. This is not a cooking board, yet we have "food porn" pages that mostly don't have a thing to do with the USVI's.And lots of other o.t. posts. They're mostly entertaining and we mostly enjoy reading them. Yes, this is a travel board, first and foremost, that is here to promote and simplify the Virgin Islands experience for travelers,[and to help put Anthony's kids thru school,LOL!] But,we all share the good, the bad, and the ugly. STJ is a place where it is very easy to let your guard down and not practice the caution that we might at home. Why is that? Because it is a mostly very safe place. But there have been exceptions over the years, and travelers should be aware of them. We tell you don't leave anything of value in your car at Saltpond because there are people that make a living stealing your stuff there! I tell people that are going to Coral Bay that it is a early to bed community, and to be careful hanging around Blues at closing time. Why? Because it has been stuck up numerous times, right around closing time. As to the USVI police, I would say to any non- local that they are not to be counted on to perform as you might expect from stateside cops. And,Bert, though I agree with you in that I hate censorship, in any form, in our great country. I consider it to be un-American. However, it's their ball, so they can make the rules.

I hope that my comments were not misconstrued. I agree that people do need to be aware, but I believe that the posts on the other board were debating the issue instead of informing. (I only read the very start of the post, I am not sure where it went after I left for vacation)

I have the same hope that you do Jorge. If anyone took offense to anything that I said, I apologize. It was not my intent.

My hubby and I have been quietly following this story for a little while. There was an interview with the family and attorney for the family on Greta Van Susteran's show tonight on Fox News. Guess they are getting a little more than local attention now. My best wishes to the family.

I hestitate to even post but if the young man were a young, attractive caucasian blonde, the news (I use that term very loosely when speaking of Faux News) would have been hopping all over this already. The Philly news as been very vocal since his family is located nearby and maybe it's a diversion from the daily homicides that are raking that city at a record pace.
Again it's expectations that St. John is Paradise and nothing bad ever happens in Paradise (but we all know bad things can happen to good people, too) and there is also the expectation that all crime, especially murder, can be solved within an hour with commercial breaks. The do it on CSI, after all. Be very careful of the Coconut Telegraph's rumors and damning the police before they've even completed their investigation. Don't turn this death into a circus like they did with the Holloway case in Aruba.
There have been other crimes on STJ and even other murders and disappearances on other "safe" islands. The hysteria and hype will not solve the crime as the Holloway case proves and that doer didn't have the convience of ferrys to quickly make his way to other islands or even countries.

oooops! left out "female" as a qualifier for the head-snapping reaction of some "news" programs!

should read "young, attractive caucasian blonde female" ...

Cshell, Damning the VI police is easy, since they are pretty inept.

Also, it is my understanding that this family might be somewhat connected politically which helps them get on the news, caucasian or otherwise.