Killer claimed that he was living next door to her with his girlfriend a Custom Officer, a blatant lie says Isidora.
BELVEDERE:--- Jenifer Isidora, the mother of slain Akeem Isidora is trying to come to terms with the brutal murder of her 22 year old son Akeem Isidora who was assassinated by an off duty police officer identified as Rishmer York last week Wednesday night. She said her main concern right now is if the cold blooded killer is being protected by his uniform. Ms. Isidora told SMN News on Thursday that if the killer was someone else the police would have picked up the suspect until it is time for him to appear in court. While the Prosecutors Office declared Officer Rishmer York is a suspect he is still a free man roaming the streets.
Ms. Isidora said when she was questioned by the Landsrecherché last week she told them neither her or her late son do not know the officer that shot her son to death. At that point the detectives informed her that the officer told them in his sworn statement that he was living next door to her apartment in Happy Estate with his girlfriend "Vivica" whom they said is a custom officer. She said at that point she had to inform the police that the female custom officer does not live with her parents and the officer who shot her son does not live with her neighbors. The bereaved woman said even the parents of the custom officer told her they don't know Officer York and that they never met him.
Ms. Isidora said that Akeem and Vivica grew up together in the neighborhood and they were always friends, she said when Akeem's girlfriend left the island to go to the Netherlands "Vivica" used to plait her late son hair, furthermore, she used to sit and chat with the boys in the neighborhood and even looked television with them.
Ms. Isidora further explained that she does not know if her son was in contact with "Vivica" while he lived in the Netherlands but what she knew is that when her son returned to St. Maarten her son told her "Vivica" was not speaking to him and she was looking at him rather funny. However, she did see her son and "Vivica" speaking on their porch one afternoon with some other boys when she came home from work prior to his murder. The bereaved mother said that she cannot say for sure that her son did not have a sexual or personal relationship with "Vivica" because she was never interested in looking into those things, what she knew is that they grew up together and have always been friends. Ms. Isidora said "Vivica" had a boyfriend that used to work at RBC bank and based on information reaching her that young man was also being harassed by Officer York. "I don't know what Vivica told the officer she now dating, and I don't know if jealousy played any role in her son's cold blooded murder. This could be a possibility because none of us know the officer personally and we never saw him in the area prior to the shooting. All I know is that my son told me this officer was harassing him constantly and he even arrested him in his neighborhood for not having his identification card. Asked if she mentioned all of this to police she said the detectives that questioned her did not ask her those questions.
The woman said earlier that day (February 4th 2015) neighbors including her late son told her that Officer York was in the area driving around and he slowed down when he saw her son and pointed his service weapon at him and told him his days are numbered before he returned to the Netherlands. Ms. Isidora said she was not at home that day because she was working but several of the neighbors including her late son told her that afternoon that the officer was in the neighborhood in a white car and when he saw Akeem he slowed down and pointed his service weapon at him.
Ms. Isidora said that it took the mother of the custom officer almost one week before she approached her to express her condolences because her neighbors are devastated knowing that their daughter and Akeem grew up together and they were always good friends.
Ms. Isidora maintained that on the night of the murder the officer dropped "Vivica" at her parents' house and he went and parked next to a car that Akeem was driving. She said Akeem went to get something from the car when the officer stuck up his middle finger at her son and that started a dispute. She said when she heard the noise she immediately went outside and as soon as she reached at the back of the dark tinted Kia jeep she heard the three shots that were fired. "When I heard those shots I ducked, and when I got up I started to look for my son Junior because one of the bullets was fired at him but he pulled aside and escaped the gunshot. When I saw Junior was okay I then started to look for Akeem and then the neighbors showed me he was on the ground where he died. "Ms. Isidora said that on the night of the shooting the forensic department was on the scene, they were there the following day gathering evidence and it took them two days to realize that one of the bullets fired that night was missing. She said two days later two detectives came back looking for the bullet and it was found in a wall where her son Junior was standing. "When those detectives found the third bullet they called the forensic department who removed the bullet and scrape the ground next to where the third bullet was found and took it away. Ms. Isidora said that two bullets hit her dead son and the third was found in the wall. She said that both of her sons speaks to "Vivica." Asked if there were other boys in the neighborhood that must have fired a shot at the officer while he was speeding away. Ms. Isidora said that no one was outside when it happened and only three shots were fired in Happy Estate. However, she said she cannot say if anyone was under the open space where the boy's hangout at the time. However, she maintained that neighbors were looking through their windows and they saw what happened and most of them spoke to the police. "Up to yesterday the detectives were in the area and they took away one of the neighbors to take her statement.
The brother of late Akeem Lake said that he knows the custom officer because she is their neighbor. However, he said that he was not close friends to the young woman because they are not of the same age. Junior said he will soon be making 30 years so the most he will say to young lady is "hello" but his dead brother and her were very good friends. Asked how he felt since the shooting incident he said there is no words to describe his feelings.
In an invited comment press prosecutor Tineke Kamps said the autopsy will take place soon and the body will be released immediately after. (The autopsy might take place on Thursday) . When asked how many bullets police sent for forensic testing Ms. Kamps said she is not the prosecutor handling the case, but after checking with the prosecutor that prosecutor said she could not release that information because it might interfere with the ongoing investigation. Police at first said that there was a shootout in Happy Estate. They said that the off-duty officer fired his service weapon in defence when a gang of boys attacked him and fired shots at him. So far it seems as though police only found the three shots at the scene that the mother and neighbors said were fired that night that claimed the life of 22 year old Akeem Isidora.