BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ALMOST six years after his shooting death, officers of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force have charged two more men with the murder of Leon ‘G-man’ Westerman, who was also known as ‘Gravo’.
According to a police release, “The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force has made good with its almost six (6) months of intense investigation into the murder of Leon ‘Gravo’ Westerman, formally of Low Street, Nevis.”
The release also stated that since the formation of the Violent Crime Unit, a number of cold cases were vigorously perused, including this one.
The men charged with Westerman’s murder are 35-year-old Asim ‘Sim’ Parris of Stoney Grove, Nevis and Dexter ‘Pelican’ Sommersal of Prickly Pear Ally in Basseterre, St. Kitts, both of whom have since been remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison.
Parris was arrested and charged on Sunday, January 19, 2014 while Sommersal was arrested and charged three days after.
Parris and Sommersal have brought to three, the number of men charged with Westerman’s murder.
The first one, Craig Halliday of Fort Thomas Road, Basseterre, St. Kitts, was arrested and charged in April 2012, some four years after Westerman’s death.
At that time, no word was received by this publication from the police concerning Halliday’s arrest, such as when it occurred and what led to the solvability of this heinous crime.
However, information that reached SKNVibes stated that the arrest was made sometime in mid-April 2008.
To date, it is not known if Halliday was convicted or not for the crime he allegedly committed.
Westerman was the first of 23 murder victims for 2008.
Sometime between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m. on January 28, 2008, Westerman was reportedly with a female American friend at Angela’s Bar on Main Street, Charlestown when he was approached and shot by two masked individuals.
Informed sources had told SKNVibes that a police unit was at that time patrolling in the vicinity of Main Street when they heard the report of gunfire.
Following investigations, the unit discovered a man, who was later identified as Westerman, stumbling into the street. Further investigations revealed that he had been shot.
The police transported him to the Alexandra Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
At the time of his death, the 28-year-old was employed at the Sunshine Bar & Grill.
