BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AFTER evading members of the security forces for almost six months, the man suspected in the shooting death of 24-year-old of Dexter Marsham of Godwin Ghaut was yesterday (Dec. 3) captured by the police.
A release issued today from the Police Press and Public Relations Office indicated that Apha ‘Raga’ Duporte of Godwin Estate was arrested and charged with the July 18, 2009 murder after members of the Anti-Gang and the Special Services Units found him in a house in Parsons Village.
The release stated that acting on intelligence reports, members of the two Units were conducting a house clearing operation in that village and Duporte was found in the company of Curtlee Rogers, who hails from the same area.
The murder suspect had been on the run since the incident took place, but Rogers was arrested and charged with Marshum’s murder on July 24, 2009.
However, according to Police Press and Public Relations Officer Inspector Vaughan Henderson, Rogers was remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) and remained there for three months before the charge was withdrawn prior to the hearing of a preliminary inquiry.
Both Duporte and Rogers were found in possession of cannabis and were subsequently charged for the offence. They were taken to the Basseterre Police Station, where Duporte was formally charged for Marsham’s murder.
He appeared before the Magistrate Court earlier today and was remanded to HMP.
Investigations are continuing in the matter, which marked the Federation’s 15th homicide in a record-breaking year that saw 28 persons killed. However, only one among the 28 was considered a homicide and that relates to Clive ‘Mac’ Lake (37) of Lodge Village, who was shot by a police officer on the Bird Rock premises of the Chief Fire Officer of the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services on March 24.
According to Henderson, only seven of them were solved by police.
