Philipsburg:--- The three suspects that were arrested early October 2012 for the brutal slayings of American citizens Michael and Thelma King who were brutally murdered in their Cupe Coy condominium on September 19th, 2012 will be having their day in the Court of First Instance on Tuesday and Wednesday (April 9th and 10th, 2013).
Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos confirmed that there are about 20 relatives of the Kings who are already on the island to witness the two day proceedings. Charged with the brutal slaying of the Kings is Meyshane Kemar Johnson (29), a national of Jamaica who was residing and working on the island illegally. Johnson already confessed to police while in pre-trail detention that he stabbed the Kings to death while attempting to rob their home. The second suspect is a Dutch national of Jamaican parentage Jeremiah Chevon Mills (17), while the third suspect is Guyanese national Jamal Jefferson Woolford (20). Woolford was arrested by the FBI in St. Thomas when he tried to escape from St. Maarten. The three suspects are also charged with robbing the Happy Star Chinese Restaurant located on Cannegieter Street, Philipsburg.
Police managed to track down the Kings' killers because they shot at the vehicle the three suspects used to rob Happy Star Chinese Restaurant before they slaughtered the Kings. When Police recovered the vehicle they shot at they found credit cards and a cellular phone belonging to the Kings. However, the bodies of the Kings were found two days later on September 21st, 2012 when their friend and business partner could not reach them by phone.
While the official trial starts on Tuesday, this is not the first time the suspects have appeared in the Court of First Instance. The main suspect Meyshane Kemar Johnson appeared several times and even before the Appeals Court fighting for his freedom because the Prosecutor's Office made several blunders when they served him with at least three summons to appear in front of the judge in the pro-forma hearing.
The suspects also attended a closed door session when Police and the judge in the case conducted a re-enactment of the killings at the home of the Kings.
While the Prosecution has already dotted the I's and crossed the T's on the case they intend to bring before the court on Tuesday, Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos said that his office still had to take a decision on what amount of time they will ask the court to impose on the three suspects. Mos said that decision will be taken on Monday afternoon. Mos further stated that the death penalty has not yet been ruled out.
