King-murder trial set for April 9-10

January 24, 2013 11:20 AM

PHILIPSBURG--The hearing of three suspects involved in the murders of Michael and Thelma King and in the armed robbery of a Chinese restaurant will be taking place April 9 and 10.

 
Judge Tamara Tijhuis of the Court of First Instance announced that the verdict will most likely be given on May 8.
All three suspects, who were wearing similar long khaki pants and white T-shirts, appeared in court for a procedural hearing on Tuesday.
 
Several friends of the murdered couple were at the Courthouse witnessing the procedures.
 
Similar to Jamaican M.K.J. (29), who was already formally charged last week Thursday, suspects J.J.W. (21) from Guyana and St. Maartener J.C.M. (18) are also facing six charges on their indictments, Prosecutor Georges van den Eshof said.
 
These charges include the armed robbery of Happy Star Chinese restaurant in Cannegieter Street on September 19, 2012; theft with violence of Michael and Thelma King, which resulted in their deaths; deprivation of liberty of Thelma King, the murders of Thelma and Michael King; and laundering of the proceeds of both armed robberies.
 
The Kings were found murdered in their St. Maarten condominium at Ocean Club Villas on September 21, 2012.
Tuesday's hearing dealt with the organisational side of the trial, including the finalisation of the investigation and the setting of dates.
 
Prosecutor Van den Eshof said the suspects' case files were not yet complete. The results of technical investigations, including DNA-samples taken from the interior of a car in which several items belonging to the Kings were found, were not yet forthcoming. The DNA-samples are still under investigation at the Dutch Forensic Institute NFI, the Prosecutor said.
 
The Prosecutor's Office also requested a review and inspection of the Ocean Club apartment where the couple was murdered. The so-called reconstruction at the crime scene is deemed necessary to establish what had exactly transpired there, Van den Eshof explained. "The Prosecutor's Office wants to turn every stone to establish what exactly happened," he said.
 
The Judge ordered such an investigation, which is to be carried out under supervision of a Judge of Instruction.
Attorneys Shaira Bommel and Aernout Kraaijeveld requested psychological assessments of their clients J.C.M. and J.J.W.
 
It was decided for a second procedural hearing to be held February 19, before the actual trial's start in April.
 
 
The suspects in this case were represented by attorneys at law Shaira Bommel and Aernout Kraaijeveld. Shaira Bommel is an attorney at law firm Sulvaran & Peterson on Sint Maarten. Aernout Kraaijeveld is an aAttorney at law firm Gibson & Associates on Sint Maarten. 
 
 

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