Philipsburg:--- While the TGO team is busy working on six cases, including three of the recent murder investigations, Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos said that there is nothing new he can release to the media on the investigations. The team he said is working on five murder investigations and one attempted murder. The TGO team he said is busy working, they are sifting through information they gathered so far Mos said. Mos has said in the past that it appears to investigators that the recent killings is the grinding of axe among those that are ending up dead through execution style murders.Sources within the community feel that the persons who are ending up dead are part of a so called hit list created due to some sort of drug deal that went sour. Many have linked the arrest and subsequent release of the late Hector Miguel Arrindell to the slaying of Amador Jones and others. Among those dead are Miguel Arrindell, Amador Jones, Rodolfo Arrindell, Aric Lake, Emilio De Leon Reyes and Kevin Gumbs. One source said that the late Jones and Arrindell concocted a robbery related to a large amount of drugs. They further suggested that the killings on St. Maarten and St. Kitts are related, as the drug lords seem to be settling the accounts among themselves. When asked if the investigating team and the Prosecutor's Office share the same sentiments on the killings on the two islands. Mos said the police and prosecutors do not exclude any option and that the police and prosecutors are working with every police and persons who might help to shed light on the murders they are trying to solve.
When asked if St. Maarten is working with St. Kitts on the killings that have taken place here and on St. Kitts, Mos said that St. Maarten is working with everyone who might be involved or linked to these murders. "If we have to work with China we will work with them to solve the murder cases we have before us and so most certainly do not exclude the Caribbean islands," Mos said.
It should be noted that the attempted murder that is being investigated by the TGO team involves the brother of the late Amador Jones. Omar Jones was arrested for attempting to kill a man identified only as "K" on April 16th in Dutch Quarter. Police was on the hunt for Jones who later surrendered to police. "K" who was shot in his leg was arrested by police when he was released from the hospital. He was later released and deported to St. Kitts where some killings have also taken place.
The Chief Prosecutor also admits that they are somewhat disappointed with the release of the person the police arrested as a suspect in the Sheldon Thomas murder investigation. "We are disappointed about this because we thought we had a suspect whom we could have further interrogated to solve the most recent murder," Mos said.
It should be noted that St. Maarten has recorded some 11 murders for the year 2011. Three of those murders have been solved. Three young men from Dominica admitted to the killings of Ludovic Guillevin, Fiodel Louis, and Edwardo Nova Valdez. The three victims were beaten violently and shot while being picked up by so called gypsy taxis. The Prosecutor's office announced earlier this year that they managed to solve three of the murder cases all of which they said were committed by the same group of people who were robbing innocent people at night.
Those killed for the year 2011 through gun violence are Ludovic Guillevin, Fiodel Louis, Edwardo Nova Valdez, Emilio De Leon Reyes, Amador Jones, Hector Miguel Arrindell, Rodolfo Arrindell, Kevin Gumbs, Aric Lake, and Sheldon Thomas.