BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – RAZBA MATTHEW, who was originally charged with the murder of 14-year-old Stancia Lake and was given the lesser charge of manslaughter, appeared today (Jan. 18) in the High Court and pleaded not guilty.
On Saturday, August 8, 2009, law enforcement officers responded to calls of a shooting incident and found Lake’s lifeless body on the floor of a friend’s house at the corner of Wigley Avenue and Cayon Street.
Reports stated that the incident shook the village community and that the teenager was shot while in the home combing the hair of one of her male friends.
Reports also suggested that a gunman stuck his hand through the window of the room in which they were and opened fire. The male friend was able to escape; however, the Basseterre High School student had received a bullet to her head.
At around 5:30 p.m. District Medical Officer Dr. Mervyn Laws arrived at the scene and pronounced her dead.
An autopsy was performed on Lake’s body on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 by Barbadian forensic pathologist, Dr. Stephen Jones, who concluded death was a result of “gunshot injury to the head”.
A press release issued by the Police Force Press and Public Relations Office dispelled rumours which circulated that Lake was “shot through a bedroom window by someone on the outside”, as further investigations implied that that scenario may be an inaccurate account of the incident.
Matthew, a resident of Lower Monkey Hill, was 17 years old when he was arrested and charged with murder on August 14, 2009.
He is currently on bail.
