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by pltm
(PLTM) - The charge of manslaughter was amended to that of murder against Luis McKelly, who confessed to killing Merlin Ceasor on June 4th 2016, with several blows to the head with a rock.
This change, which was put forward by the Crown’s Prosecutor Mr. O’neil Simpson, was adopted when the accused made an appearance before Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards yesterday, September 16th 2016. The matter will now proceed via paper committal, where the Magistrate’s Court will determine whether or not there is enough evidence against the accused for the matter to be tried at the High Court.
In his first appearance on June 17th, 2016, McKelly confessed to killing Caesor during a fight where he gave the Caesor several blows to his head with a rock.
The body of Ceasor, 33, a native of the Dominican Republic with no fixed place of abode, was recovered near the Fisherman’s Wharf, Wickham’s Cay 1, close to the water’s edge on the afternoon of June 4, 2016.
In his confession, McKelly, who resided at Cane Garden Bay, told officers that he and the deceased got into a fight and he used the rock to hit him in the head. He added that he doesn’t remember anything else, except pulling him out of the water.
He also told the officers that he didn’t remember what the fight with Ceasor was about, as they fought regularly.
According to police reports, in responding to a call on June 4th 2016, officers arrived on the scene and witnessed the deceased lying topless, shoeless and drenched with mud, with the accused sitting on a plank next to him, soaked in mud as well.
Prosecutor for the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, Inspector Bill Johnny noted that the accused was found intoxicated.
Allegedly, McKelly initially told officers that he was helping his friend out of the water and he wasn’t aware of what happened.
McKelly told officers that he went down to the fisherman's dock earlier that day and saw his friend in the water; he pulled him out and told the staff of a nearby carwash to call an ambulance.
In processing the area, officers found a mattress, a rock and sticks with what appeared to be fresh blood on them.
Further investigations of CCTV video footage revealed McKelly walking from the car park of the parliament building, heading to Infinite Solutions, holding what appeared to be a rock in his right hand behind his back.
The footage also saw the accused walk through the Immigration car park from the location of the incident, with something bulky in his pocket, appearing to be intentionally hidden.
McKelly will make another appearance on December 7th 2016 for the court’s decision.
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