Joyce Blyden Jones
Family and friends are advised of the passing of Joyce Amantis Blyden Jones. Joyce transitioned at 83 years of age on Oct.9, at her home. She was born on Sept. 4, 1941.
Joyce is preceded in death by her parents: Jane Albertha Christopher and William Robert Blyden; and sons: Liston W. Bailey Jr. and Ashley Brown.
She retired in 2012 after many years as a sales associate at A.H. Riise Stores.
Joyce is survived by her spouse, Edric E. Jones; daughters: Laura Velinor, Michele Taylor and Deborah Jones; sons Athniel “Chammy” Blyden, Anthony Warner, Geoffrey Jones and Jumaine Jones; sisters: Una Blyden Rabsatt, RoseMarie Blyden George and Gracie Blyden; brother, Raphael “Raffie” Blyden; sons-in-law: Trevor Velinor and Louis Taylor Jr.; and sister-in-law, Mayra Blyden.
She is also survived by her brothers-in-law: Calvin Hanley, Adolph Rabsatt and Gregorie George; daughters-in-law: Gabrielle Bailey, Angelita Suarez and Dafnette Jones; grandchildren: Jabari Velinor, Jamila Velinor, Mone’ Taylor, Safiya Taylor, Lionel Bailey, Keith Bailey, William Bailey, Julie Jefferson, Jamal Williams, Kiara Jones, Jah’Faria Jones, Ayomide Jones, Shaddiah Jones, Jaliyah Jones, Anthony Warner Jr. and Tyler Warner;
Other survivors include great-grandchildren: Taylor Price, Vanessa Bailey, Larissa Bailey, Aliyah Bailey, Keith Bailey Jr., Reign Bailey and Zayden Alba; special friends: Rhoda John-Lewis, Julia John-Lewis (aka Mother), Lyantine Belle and Mavis Thomas; as well as additional brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends too numerous to mention.
A special thank you goes to Carmen Vanterpool-Romney, who was instrumental in assisting with finding needed caregivers. Also, thank you to Tropical Hospice of the Virgin Islands, especially Brenda Thomas and Nurse Selma Rubaine; Tyneisha Jean from the Department of Human Services, and Loretta Andrews, Berecia Foster and LaToya Smith for the exceptional care provided to Joyce.
Those who knew Joyce knew that she had a wonderful and caring spirit. She was giving and always wanted the best for others.
Please join family and friends for Joyce’s homegoing service.
The first viewing will be at Turnbull’s Funeral Home from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
The second viewing will be held at Blyden Memorial Chapel at 9 a.m., followed by services at 10 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 7. Interment will be held at Eastern Cemetery, Smith Bay.
Arrangements are entrusted to Turnbull’s Funeral Home.
Randolph Harley Power Plant (Source photo by Mat Probasco)
The Virgin Islands Supreme Court has upheld a law reshaping the leadership of the Water and Power Authority, marking a significant decision for the territory’s largest utility provider and potentially impacting its governance moving forward.
The case, Bryan and Government of the Virgin Islands v. Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority focused on Act No. 8472, a 2021 law passed by the V.I. Legislature that reduced WAPA’s board members from nine to seven, set professional criteria for nongovernmental members, and limited the governor’s ability to appoint and oversee board members.
Background and Issues
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr., joined by the V.I. government, challenged a March 2023 Superior Court decision that upheld Act No. 8472 as constitutional. The act significantly altered WAPA’s Governing Board, reducing the governor’s appointed governmental members to only one—the director of the Virgin Islands Energy Office—and requiring nongovernmental members to have specialized expertise in areas like engineering, environmental science, and public affairs. Bryan argued that this act intruded on executive authority outlined in the Revised Organic Act of 1954, which vests the executive with control over the administration of public utilities like WAPA.
According to Bryan’s administration, the act’s restructuring of WAPA’s board diluted executive oversight, leaving fewer representatives aligned with the executive branch in an agency that delivers essential water and electricity services. Additionally, Bryan challenged the new requirement barring government employees from board positions as arbitrary, asserting it violated equal protection by disqualifying certain individuals based on employment.
Legal Arguments and Court Findings
Central to Bryan’s appeal was his assertion that Act No. 8472 intruded upon his authority to supervise an executive agency and weakened the governor’s influence over WAPA’s board by limiting appointments. The administration maintained that WAPA operates under the executive branch, meaning legislative restructuring interfered with executive functions. Bryan also contended that the act’s requirement for specific qualifications for nongovernmental board members excluded knowledgeable government employees without valid justification, which he argued undermined equal protection principles.
The Legislature defended Act No. 8472 as part of its legislative power to define the structure and qualifications of public utility boards like WAPA’s, focusing on the goal of improved service reliability through qualified oversight. In a ruling this week, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Legislature, finding no conflict with the Revised Organic Act’s provisions regarding executive and legislative powers. In its decision, the court emphasized that the act was within the Legislature’s authority to establish professional standards for board members, considering the utility’s long-standing service challenges.
The court upheld that the legislative body has the power to adjust public corporation governance to achieve higher accountability and expertise, especially within essential services like WAPA.
Impact of the Decision
This ruling reinforces the legislative authority to shape public utilities’ oversight, potentially setting a precedent for similar structural changes across other public agencies. By affirming Act No. 8472, the court recognized the Legislature’s power to implement reforms designed to stabilize and enhance WAPA’s governance. This decision underscores the judiciary’s role in balancing legislative powers with executive oversight, asserting that the Legislature can mandate structural changes to utility governance without violating executive authority.
Sen. Majority Leader Kenneth Gittens, a primary sponsor of Act 8472, welcomed the ruling, describing it as an important step toward transparency and accountability at WAPA. “This is a victory on behalf of the people of the Virgin Islands, and going forward, all board members must be appointed to manage the Authority per Act 8472,” Gittens said. He noted that while the Administration’s challenges delayed the law’s implementation, both the Superior and Supreme Courts ultimately upheld the Legislature’s authority.
Gittens, who previously led investigations uncovering extensive waste, fraud, and abuse at WAPA, emphasized the continued push for reform, citing ongoing billing and metering issues as top priorities. Legislative oversight has already prompted a full audit of WAPA and the hiring of a turnaround management firm to address inefficiencies.
Asked by The Source for his perspective on the decision’s impact, Bryan stated that the ruling would not have an operational effect, which was echoed Wednesday by the authority’s Chief Executive Officer Karl Knight.
“We were already complying with the law when the matter was appealed,” Knight shared. “Though it does mean that one of the most critical agencies in government has one of the smallest boards, seven members when compared to the other government agencies.”
Attorney Matthew Campbell is seeking new venue for trial for client Richardson Dangleben Jr. (Shutterstock photo illustration)
The attorney for Richardson Dangleben Jr., the St. Thomas man charged in the 2023 shooting death of VIPD Detective Delberth Phipps Jr., is seeking a change of venue out of the territory, or at least to the district of St. Croix, given the intense publicity surrounding the case.
A 37-page motion requesting the change is one of 13 that Public Defender Matthew Campbell filed on his client’s behalf Wednesday in V.I. District Court, including to sever certain counts and dismiss others, and to suppress police interrogations of Dangleben while he was being treated for injuries at the hospital after the July 4 shooting, and again in the parking lot of the federal courthouse before his initial appearance three days later, on July 7, 2023.
Dangleben faces 13 counts including: first-degree murder; two counts of first-degree assault; two counts of third-degree assault; attempted first-degree murder; use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death; two counts of discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number; receipt of a firearm while under indictment for a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment; and wearing body armor during the commission of a violent crime.
Separately, Dangleben also faces murder and other charges in V.I. Superior Court, for the February 2023 shooting death of Keith Jennings. Both that and the Phipps incident occurred in the Hospital Ground area of St. Thomas.
Dangleben has pleaded not guilty in both cases and is currently scheduled to stand trial in the Jennings case on March 25. A trial date has not been set in the Phipps case, according to publicly available records on the District Court docket.
According to Wednesday’s motion for a change of venue, the pretrial publicity in both cases “has been constant, widespread, inflammatory and emotional such that selecting a fair and impartial jury in this community will be impossible.” It has been so great that Campbell sought leave of the court to file an “overlength motion” to fully detail the “depth and breadth” of public discourse around the Phipps case in particular.
The motion details months of media coverage of both cases, as well as publicity fueled by statements from government officials at the time of Phipps’ death and then after when he lay in state because he was an officer of the V.I. Police Department killed in the line of duty, during his funeral, and beyond.
“There has been a constant and detailed stream of articles regarding this case as well as the Superior Court case. Most of those articles link the two cases together, so any reader familiar with one case is most assuredly familiar with the other. The articles are emotionally-charged and have figuratively convicted Mr. Dangleben of both murders before any trial is held. A large number of public officials have weighed in, alternately praising Detective Phipps and demonizing Mr. Dangleben. To call the press coverage ‘one-sided’ is a vast understatement,” the motion states.
“Several dignitaries are quoted making emotional statements — all of which presume Mr. Dangleben’s guilt — including Governor Bryan who described the incident as ‘a devastating blow not only to [Phipps’] family, friends, and colleagues but to the entire Virgin Islands community,’” the motion states.
In some cases, Dangleben was outright convicted, it says.
For example, most local news outlets published a press release from U.S. Attorney Delia Smith on Oct. 16, 2023, regarding the grand jury’s indictment in the case, that stated “Officer Phipps bravely responded to a criminal act in progress when his life was taken during the cowardly act of murder,” the motion notes. “Thus, the press release stated as fact that Mr. Dangleben is guilty. The release went on to personalize the event for all readers by adding that the ‘death of an officer in the line of duty is a loss that affects the entire community, and we expect justice to be served in a manner that reflects the ultimate sacrifice he made,’” it says.
“Quotes from the Virgin Islands Chief of Police and the FBI Special Agent in Charge made it clear that in their opinion, Mr. Dangleben was guilty and the result in this case was all but a foregone conclusion. The press release then went on to cite to unnamed court documents (likely the affidavit to the complaint) and summarized the ‘facts’ the government intends to prove, as if they were already proved. It also summarized evidence purportedly found, including firearms, ammunition and marijuana,” according to the motion.
Adding fuel to the fire were comments on social media in reaction to the news articles, including several calling for Dangleben’s execution, and many others posting sympathetic emojis for the victims, the motion states.
Compounding the issue is the tiny population of the Virgin Islands, which by itself will make it challenging to seat an impartial jury that is not familiar with some aspect of the case, the motion states. According to the 2020 Census, the U.S. Virgin Islands’ total population was 87,146, with 42,261 residing on St. Thomas, 41,004 on St. Croix, and 3,891 on St. John. However, only 70,060 of those residents are 18 or older and eligible for jury duty, according to the Census Bureau, meaning a pool of around 37,000 people in the St. Thomas-St. John District, it says.
“The small size of the Judicial Division of Saint Thomas and Saint John supports a finding of presumed prejudice,” the motion states, citing high-profile cases in other jurisdictions with larger populations that in some instances led the Supreme Court to reverse convictions because a defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial was violated by intense pre-trial and courtroom publicity.
“The drum beat of this press coverage has been steady and constant. It began the day the shooting began and has continued every time any event occurs in this case or in Superior Court,” according to the motion. “Routine court proceedings (such as expert notices or status conferences) have caused publication of articles that cover those proceedings as well as recitations of the allegations in both shootings. There is no sign that press coverage will abate. Rather, it appears likely that as motions are litigated and this case gets closer to trial, the frequency and intensity of press coverage is likely to increase, not decrease,” it says.
In addition to a change of venue, Campbell is also seeking to suppress interrogations of Dangleben when he was recovering from surgery and on pain medication for gunshot wounds to both thumbs and his leg after the July 4th shooting, and again on July 7 when he was taken to the courthouse from the hospital for his initial appearance, alleging violations of his Miranda rights among other issues.
In addition, Campbell has filed motions to:
Dismiss count 5, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, because it is unconstitutional;
Dismiss count 6, receipt of a firearm while under indictment for a crime punishable by more than one year in prison, because it is unconstitutional;
Dismiss counts 1, 2 and 3: Use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death; and two charges of discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, because none of the counts states an offense under the United States Code as the underlying crime of violence is based on a V.I. Code offense (the murder counts);
Sever count 4, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, because as a non-violent offense it is joined with offenses not of the same character;
Sever count 6, receipt of a firearm while under indictment for a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment, because it relates to the Superior Court case and unfairly prejudices the District Court case;
Exclude any evidence addressing the separate charges currently pending in the Superior Court;
Exclude the expert testimony of DEA Special Agent Joseph Pittaluga as unnecessary and unhelpful because “every defendant has a right to be tried based on the evidence against him or her, not on the techniques utilized by law enforcement officials in investigating criminal activity.”
Thunderstorms with lightning and excessive rainfall are forecast to occur throughout the week. A Flash Flood Watch has been issued for portions of the USVI and Puerto Rico beginning on Thursday morning. (Photo courtesy NWS)
The National Weather Service (NWS) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has explained that a very wet and unstable weather pattern will continue to occur across the local islands over the coming days. Several weather alerts, such as a Flash Flood Watch, have been issued for portions of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
“A series of mid-to-upper-level troughs [areas of low pressure] and above-normal moisture from a nearly stationary front [which the NWS defines as a boundary or transition zone between two air masses of different density, and usually of different temperature] will create ideal conditions for thunderstorm development over the next few days,” according to an update from the NWS on Wednesday.
“The most intense and frequent activity [is] expected between Thursday morning and Saturday morning, [and] rainfall totals during this period are expected to range from three to six inches, with locally higher amounts of [up to] eight to 10 inches across northern and eastern Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, and the U.S. Virgin Islands,” the NWS said. “Elsewhere [across the region], expect rainfall amounts around one to two inches,” the NWS added.
The potential for heavy rain and hazardous marine conditions has resulted in weather alerts for the USVI and Puerto Rico. A Flash Flood Watch will be in effect from 8 a.m. on Thursday until 8 a.m. on Saturday.
“A Flash Flood Watch has been issued due to the high likelihood that any extended period of moderate to heavy rainfall will lead to flash flooding, [including] sudden river surges—potentially causing some rivers to exceed flood-stage levels—and mudslides in areas with steep terrain,” the NWS explained.
The NWS in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has warned of multiple hazards across the USVI and Puerto Rico due to an ongoing unsettled weather pattern. (Photo courtesy NWS)
Additionally, choppy seas, strong rip currents, and gusty winds are forecast, and marine alerts have been announced for the local islands. A Small Craft Advisory will be in effect from 8 a.m. on Thursday until 6 a.m. on Saturday, and a High Rip Current Risk will be in effect from 6 a.m. on Thursday until 6 a.m. on Saturday.
“Hazardous marine and life-threatening rip current conditions from [large] swell action combined with fresh to strong winds are expected from Thursday onward,” the NWS warned.
National Hurricane Center Monitoring CaribbeanAs was reported by The Source earlier this week, inclement weather may continue through the first week of November due to a tropical disturbance that could develop in the southwestern Caribbean. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is closely monitoring an area with a medium chance of cyclonic development.
The National Hurricane Center continues to monitor the southwestern Caribbean Sea for possible cyclonic development. The potential system has been given a 40 percent chance of intensification over the next seven days. (Photo courtesy NHC and NWS)
“A broad area of low pressure is likely to develop over the southwestern Caribbean Sea by the end of the week,” according to an update from the NHC on Wednesday. “Gradual development is possible thereafter, and a tropical depression could form over the weekend or early next week while the system drifts generally northward or northwestward over the central or western Caribbean Sea,” the NHC continued.
Weather Updates
USVI residents and visitors are reminded that weather forecast information, including severe weather alerts, is available from the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency website and the National Weather Service. Individuals are also encouraged to monitor updates from the National Hurricane Center throughout the remainder of hurricane season, which officially ends on Nov. 30.
The Source Weather Page also publishes a daily weather forecast and offers readers the opportunity to view weather forecast videos and disaster preparedness video segments.
Senators said they were fed up with a 2006 federal mandate requiring a third-party fiduciary to review how the territory uses federal funds. (Photo by Alvin Burke JR. and Jamal Potter Legislature of the Virgin Islands)
Senators called federal financial oversight via a third-party fiduciary “a trap” ensnaring the territory, a “racket,” and “a foot on our throat” at a Wednesday hearing on St. Thomas even as Virgin Islands government officials and the fiduciary outlined ongoing systemic problems in various departments.
Sen. Donna Frett-Gregory, chair of the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance, held her head in visible dismay as Sharon Murphy, a partner at third-party fiduciary McConnell & Jones, listed eight areas of key concern to be addressed before a 2006 compliance agreement with the federal Education Department could be lifted.
In 2006, the federal government labeled the U.S. Virgin Islands a “high-risk grantee” because of myriad difficulties keeping track of federal funds. Paying roughly $2.5 million a year to the fiduciaries, the territory has spent more than $42 million on third-party overseers since 2007, Frett-Gregory said.
“I am having little heart palpitations now because the same conversation we are having here is the same one we’ve been having for the last 17 years,” Frett-Gregory said. “What is out of compliance?”
In March 2007, the first third-party fiduciary, Alvarez and Marsal, pointed out areas of dysfunction that led to the territory losing tens of millions of dollars in federal education grants. The fiduciaries’ scope of operations extended to other areas of government, including Human Services, Property and Procurement, and the Finance Department. Although it still monitors those areas, the primary work is now, again, in the Virgin Islands Education Department.
The fiduciary manages roughly $288 million in federal grants, reviewing requisitions and vendor payments and financial reports. It also recommends and oversees policies and procedures related to grants, provides management reports, and offers accounting and technical assistance to compliance staff.
Murphy said the territory had made significant strides, going from 24 areas to improve in 2020 to eight, but issues remain. These included how the territory uses federal funds, how they monitor uses of those funds, payroll procedures, issues with vendor invoices, and more.
Murphy estimated the need for a third-party fiduciary would be over at the end of September 2027.
“It is significantly better,” Murphy said.
It was one of many points in the hearing where Frett-Gregory seemed to lose patience.
“What’s the challenge? What’s significantly better? Why do we not have an A?” she asked, echoing similar frustrations expressed in a 2019 hearing. “We should not be spending $2.5 million a year. It is a racket. It is.”
She and Sen. Ray Fonseca implied McConnell & Jones and the two previous third-party fiduciary companies under contract may have dragged their feet, milking the compliance agreement for a plumb assignment in the Virgin Islands.
“People come down here and they get very comfortable,” Frett-Gregory said, reviewing the list of needed improvements. “This money is leaving the territory and these things that’s in front of us are not major things.”
Fonseca said it was time for the federal Education Department to review whether the $2.5 million each year was well spent by auditing the fiduciary’s work and the actual outstanding needs.
“I think personally it’s in your best interest to keep us under these conditions,” he said to Murphy. “This here, to me, is a way to continue us into a trap. It’s a trap.”
Senate President Novelle Francis said ongoing compliance issues — including government employees failing to correctly file their timesheets, properly fill out paperwork for procurement and other invoices, and other shortfalls — indicated the fiduciary oversight was failing. He said tying federal money to the compliance agreement was hindering the Virgin Islands.
“The federal government continues to have their foot on our throat,” Francis said. “It’s a real pay-to-play environment with the federal government and it’s really unfair.”
Frett-Gregory said Murphy and her team of nine were not doing their job well enough. Time and again, Murphy responded simply, “Yes, ma’am.”
Julio Rhymer Sr., acting director of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget, acknowledged an 11 percent error rate within various areas of concern was too much, but reaching a three percent or zero error rate, as Murphy suggested, was not practical or even possible, he said.
Frett-Gregory said Rhymer, who was nominated director Sept. 30, had a lot of work to do ensuring compliance rates that would get the fiduciary out of the territory. Rhymer said his goal was to have the needs met and the overseer gone by December 2025.
McConnell & Jones’ contract ends at the end of November, Murphy said, and, per federal rules, goes back out to competitive bid.
Despite her frustrations, Frett-Gregory asked if there was a way to extend McConnell & Jones’ contract for a year for continuity.
“Every time we switch, the goalpost gets farther away,” she said.
There was no clear answer.
U.S. Virgin Islands sax man Mekiel Reuben has done it again! This time, it’s the release of the first single, “Boney Kirk,” on his 10th album, “Something Like That.” Listen up, jazz aficionados, on your favorite playlist Friday!Mekiel Reuben’s 10th Album (Photo courtesy Mekiel Reuben)Reuben wrote the tune “Boney Kirk” to pay homage to the musicians Boney James and Kirk Whalum, whom he has always listened to as his favorites. The R&B smooth jazz dance style of James and the flavored verse of Whalum is the essence of this new single.According to soundcloud.com, “Boney Kirk” will be streaming on your playlist. A native of Chicago, Reuben showed an early interest in music at eight years of age when he was gifted at Christmas with a guitar from his mother. He began studying music and woodwinds at 15 under band director Louis Gray at the Richard T. Crane High School in Chicago. His first performance was at the high school graduation. He was greatly influenced by Grover Washington Jr., Stevie Wonder, The Crusaders, Chicago, and Earth, Wind, & Fire. Reuben’s move to the U.S. Virgin Islands at age 18 was a continuation of his musical career. He studied privately with jazz woodwinds player Jimmy Hamilton, a 27-year veteran of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. He also studied jazz with Benny Jacobs El, a graduate of the Julliard School of Music in New York. There were many years Reuben worked and played on St. Croix with bands and dance/theatrical companies. “I learned to play reggae and calypso and many Latin and Caribbean rhythms.”“I later moved to the West Coast and continued my music studies with the legendary saxophonist Bill Greene in Los Angeles and learned improvisation. I studied music and marketing at Los Angeles City College and West Los Angeles City College.”His career has covered tours of Europe, North America, and Canada. Reuben worked with iconic reggae artist Eek-A-Mouse and participated in numerous festivals and gigs across the West Coast of the U.S. He toured and recorded with the acclaimed “Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm.” Mekiel Reuben at his craft. (Photo courtesy Mekiel Reuben)He was awarded Top Music Artist at the 2006 Temecula Valley International Film and Music Festival.For over two decades, Reuben has dedicated his time and shared his musical talents and brought joy to disabled students at the Benjamin Benneker Special Education Center in Los Angeles, CA.Reuben resides on St.Croix. He continues to play and produce music for the world. He is a regular performer on Lyric Sails and other musical venues on the island.Over the past 30 years, Reuben has recorded and released nine albums and five singles. For the past 22 years, Reuben and David Vasquez (keyboard, arranger, and co-producer) have teamed up to produce six of his nine albums. “Something Like That” will be the seventh album they will be releasing together. Mekiel Reuben/MekMuse Records Releases to his credit:(1993) Miles Away; (a dedication to Miles Davis); (1996) Simply Peaceful;(2000) Shadows of Love; (2005) Hangin’ in the Moonlight; (2009) Cookin’ in LA; (2012) If You Were Here Tonight; (2019) M.R.;(2020) Re-release Miles Away (a dedication to Miles Davis); (2024) Single – Boney Kirk; (2025) Something Like That (March 2025)Music by Mekiel Reuben can be found on Amazon, iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, Soundcloud, cdbaby, and other digital platforms.Musicians on “Boney Kirk” Single:Mekiel Reuben: Tenor Sax, PercussionDavid Vasquez: Keyboards, Synth Bass, PercussionPhil Martin, (Phil E): DrumsMauricio Guerrero Jr.: GuitarFor more information:
Mekmuse@yahoo.commekielreuben.com
A sharp-eyed Source reader spotted this “gravity anomaly” along Hull Bay Road on St. Thomas. (Submitted photo)
A sharp-eyed Source reader spotted this “gravity anomaly” last week just west of the pink llama sign on Hull Bay Road on the North Side of St. Thomas. While it could be taken for an AI-generated image, it is indeed real. The reader surmised that the boulder might have become wedged next to the power pole during Tropical Storm Ernesto in August, which brought heavy rain to the area. The Public Works Department and the V.I. Water and Power Authority said Wednesday they would dispatch crews to address the issue.
Territory reached its 32nd homicide Wednesday. (Shutterstock image)
Detection of shots fired by the Shot Spotter Detection System led to the discovery of Hasani Parris shot to death Wednesday morning in the area of Hospital Ground on St. Thomas, the V.I. Police Department reported.
Officers from the Virgin Islands Police Department responded to Hospital Ground where they found Parris lying in the roadway. Parris seemed to have at least one gunshot wound to his body, according to the police report.
Emergency Medical Technicians on the scene determined that Parris had no vital signs. Parris was 27 years old, the police report stated.
Parris is the 32nd homicide in the territory and the 19th on St. Thomas, according to the Source Homicide List.* St. Croix has reported 13 homicides and St. John, none.
Anyone having information is asked to contact 911, the Major Crimes Unit at 340-774-2211 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222- 8477(TIPS).
The Source Homicide List is a chronological log of the homicides recorded in 2024 in the U.S. Virgin Islands, as reported by the VIPD. Cases are broken down by island. While this listing is based on VIPD reports, the Source does not include suicides or vehicular homicides in its listing, which the police and some other media do. This can lead to a discrepancy in the number of incidents reported.
Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Huston will lead the efforts for the District of the Virgin Islands regarding the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 5 general election, United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced Wednesday.
Huston has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer and, in that capacity, will be responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of Election Day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, DC, according to the press release.
The Justice Department has an important role in deterring and combating discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers and election fraud and will address these violations wherever they occur. The
The long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the department so that the public can report possible federal election law violations, the press release stated.
“Every citizen must be free to cast his/her vote without interference or discrimination and
to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” Smith said. “Moreover, election officials and staff must be allowed to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials
or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English), the release stated.
“The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy,” Smith said. “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Huston will be on duty in this district while the polls are open and can be reached by the public at 340-773-3920.”
The FBI will also have special agents available in each field office to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day and can be reached by the public at 340-777-3363. Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC, by complaint form found at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by calling 800-253-3931, the release stated.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American
electorate,” Smith said. “It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, that in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. The Virgin Islands Police Department has primary jurisdiction over polling places and can react sooner in an emergency, the release stated.
