Major Lee Womack, who was arrested more than 10 years ago for killing an elderly man in the Christiansted Public Cemetery on St. Croix, agreed this week to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, according to a filing in V.I. Superior Court.
Police at the time said Egbert Thomas Jr., 79, was visiting his wife’s grave in March 2015 when Womack, then homeless and squatting in one of the nearby structures, assaulted and beat Thomas to death before stealing his wallet and clothes. According to the plea agreement, Womack “had a ‘known’ and documented mental illness.”
“He killed Thomas as a consequence of and while under the influence of his mental condition (schizophrenia),” according to the agreement, which was signed by Womack, his attorney, Howard Phillips and Assistant Attorney General Chad Mitchell this week.
Though Womack was arrested swiftly, his case languished for the better part of a decade while being “transferred from court to court without the assignment of an assistant attorney general to handle this matter,” then Deputy Territorial Chief Public Defender H. Hannibal O’Bryan wrote in a December 2023 motion to dismiss. The motion came after Womack was found incompetent to stand trial and multiple court orders mandating that Womack be transferred to a long-term mental health care facility. At the time of writing, Womack was still housed at the V.I. Corrections Bureau and “waiting to be transfer [sic] to a facility where he can begin a new life and receive proper treatment.”
In June 2024, Superior Court Judge Carol Thomas-Jacobs ordered Womack’s transfer to Larkin Behavioral Health in Florida.
Prosecutors recommended as part of the plea that Womack’s sentencing include an agreement that he remain in Florida and not return to St. Croix and that he remain in a forensic unit unless released following a hearing in Superior Court.
