Aug. 30, 2001 — The three men charged with murdering Kaunda Bryan, the son of Sen. Adelbert Bryan, are facing life in prison.
At their advice-of-rights hearing Thursday in St. Croix Territorial Court, Judge Darryl Donohue told Zacchaeus "Iceman" Blake, 26, Blaine Claxton, 22, and Eugene "Tayo" Williams, 18, that they were charged with first-degree murder and the unlawful possession of a firearm.
The trio allegedly shot and killed Bryan, 25, Sunday near the Texaco service station in Estate Betty's Hope. The shooting reportedly occurred when an argument at an impromptu horse race on the scene escalated into gunfire. Shot once in the chest, Bryan was pronounced dead shortly before noon Sunday at Juan F. Luis Hospital.
At their hearing Thursday, the three men stood before Donohue dressed in street clothes while the judge advised them of their rights. Donohue told all three that if they were convicted on the murder charge, each would face a mandatory life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole.
If the men were found guilty of possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, they would face a maximum sentence of 10 years and a minimum five years in prison. A trial date has not been set.
