USVI records first murder for 2009

~~Adz:Right~~St. John, USVI- An elderly bar owner on St. John was killed Monday (Jan. 5), the 1st murder to have occurred in the US territory for the new year.

According to police sources, Juan Ayala was killed execution-style outside his Estate Pastory home. Police responded to reports of shots fired in the area around 8 that morning to find the businessman sprawled in front of his home, his body riddled with gunshots.

Darren Foy, Deputy Police Chief for the smallest of the three islands making up the US Virgin Islands said police are searching for two men in connection to the brutal shooting. One was described as “a black man, 5 feet, 6 inches tall, dressed in a yellow shirt with black pants and his hair braided in corn rows”, however no description of the second suspect was provided.

Police have narrowed the motive for the killing of the Cap's Place owner down to robbery and have appealed to anyone with information to call Jurgen Command in St. John at 693-8880 or police emergency at 911.

As with any information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person who committed murder in St. Thomas, St. Croix or St. John, a $10,000 reward is being offered.