Michael and Thelma King (SC) Murdered in St. Maarten-Bodies Found 9/21/12

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http://www.amigoe.com/antillen/149347-moordzaak-kingom-eist-levenslang

Google translation:

Murder King OM requires lifelong         

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2013 3:44 P.M.

PHILIPSBURG - The prosecution has demanded life against Meyshane Kemar J. for the murder of Thelma and Michael King on 19 September last year and for an armed robbery at a Chinese restaurant on the same day.

Against the 18-year-old co-defendant Jeremiah M. Chevon demands the OM 28 years jail. By Jamal Jeferson W. (21) claimed the OM 24 years jail.

Thelma and Michael King were murdered in their villa at the Ocean Club in Cupecoy, a few hours after the three offenders a Chinese restaurant in Philipsburg had raided. The suspects forced the dwelling from the beach and found Michael King asleep on the bank. Gunpoint and knives forced the robbers to tell him where his safe was. His wife Thelma who was sleeping in the bedroom, was forced to open the safe, the robbers then a check and a pouch with suspected jewelry concerns.

After the robbery went out of hand: the woman was taken downstairs and tied up, blindfolded and gagged on a chair, then Meyshane J. First Michael King's throats and then almost identical to his wife's life brought.

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http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130409/PC16/130409261

Testimony: Suspects partied at St. Maarten brothel after slitting throats of Michael, Thelma King

Glenn Smith Posted: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 1:28 p.m.


Michael and Thelma King were found stabbed to death in their condo in St. Maartens in September 2012(Source:Facebook)

Maho Beach, ST. MAARTEN — Three suspects accused of robbing and killing Michael and Thelma King of Mount Pleasant partied at an island brothel after slitting their victims’ throats, according to testimony this morning.

Thelma King, 57, and her husband, Michael, 53, were found stabbed to death in their beachfront condominium on Sept. 21, the victims of an apparent robbery gone bad.

Today, the three men accused of killing the couple are standing trial in a small court in nearby Philipsburg. Meyshane Kemar Johnson, 28; Jeremiah Chevon Mills, 17; and Jamal Jefferson Woolford, 20, face the possibility of life in prison if convicted.

According to evidence presented in court today, the three men got together earlier in the evening and engaged in drinking while riding around in a borrowed car. At some point, they drove to the Happy Star Chinese Restaurant and robbed the business at gun point. Police shot at the suspects as they piled into the getaway car and drove off. They then switched license plates and drove around the island, eventually ending up at the Ocean Club Villas in the Cupecoy section in the Dutch side of St. Maarten.

Mills told the judge that they approached the King’s beach house after spotting a light on there. They saw Michael King sleeping on a chair inside and they headed into the home.

They woke Michael King up and demanded cash while Johnson reportedly held him at knife point in a choke hold. The other two men went upstairs and woke up Thelma King and forced her to open the safe.

The two men then marched Thelma King downstairs, tied her to a chair and blindfolded and gagged her. From there, the stories become unclear. The judge said Johnson told police that he stabbed Michael King and slit his throat after he made a move to come to his wife’s aid. The judge, however, said evidence does not support that account.

Johnson repeatedly insisted that despite the detailed statement that he provided to police, he now has no memory of the episode. He said he has memory loss at times due to drinking.

Mills and Woolford don’t deny being in the house during the robbery but insist they were not there when the Kings were killed.

After the killings, the trio went to a brothel, had more drinks, and paid for women’s services. They could not recall if they did so with money from the King’s home or the restaurant robbery.

Mills said they came away from the house with a stack of $100 bills from the safe and a package of drugs he later sold for a couple thousand dollars. Testimony indicated there was cocaine in the safe but forensic tests could find no traces of drugs in the safe and investigators found no proof there were any drugs in the house.

 ::snipping2::

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http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130410/PC16/130419904/1165/defendants-apologize-to-families-of-michael-thelma-king-as-st-maarten-testimony-ends

Defendants apologize to families of Michael, Thelma King as St. Maarten testimony ends

Glenn Smith Posted: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 1:45 p.m.


Mike and Thelma King (left); Meyshane Kemar Johnson.

Philipsburg, St. Maarten — Testimony ended today in the trial of three men accused of killing Mount Pleasant residents Mike and Thelma King with the suspects offering apologies to the victims’ families.

But Meyshane Kemar Johnson, 28, the man of accused of slitting the couples’ throats continued to insist that he has no recollection of the night of Sept. 19 when the Kings were killed.

Johnson, who faces a possible life prison sentence, said he also hopes he can return to society at some point.

“Realistically, I can’t see myself doing a lifetime in jail for something I can’t even remember,” he said.

Johnson and his two co-defendants, Jeremiah Chevon Mills, 17, and Jamal Jefferson Woolford, 20, are accused of entering the Kings beachfront villa to rob them after committing a hold-up at another restaurant earlier the same evening.

While Johnson held Michael King at knifepoint, Mills and Woolford tied Thelma King to a chair and gagged and blindfolded her. Johnson reportedly slit Michael King’s throat and then killed King’s wife while she was still bound and gagged.

The judge said she would formally close the case on May 8. That is when she will render a verdict and impose sentencing.

Mills told the family he was sorry for what happened and he would have stepped in to intervene if he had known Johnson intended to harm the couple.

“It was not my intention,” Mills said. “I never planned for anybody to get killed.”

Woolford expressed similar sentiments and says he hopes someday to return to society and better himself.

Prosecutors have recommended 24 years in prison for Woolford and 28 years for Mills.

 ::snipping2::

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http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/11788-michael-and-thelma-king-murder-trial-to-begin-tuesday-relatives-of-the-victims-already-on-st-maarten-to-witness-the-two-day-trial.html

Michael and Thelma King Murder Trial to Begin Tuesday --- Relatives of the Victims already on St. Maarten to witness the two day trial.
MONDAY, 08 APRIL 2013 22:34    SMN NEWS TEAM 

Philipsburg:--- The three suspects that were arrested early October 2012 for the brutal slayings of American citizens Michael and Thelma King who were brutally murdered in their Cupe Coy condominium on September 19th, 2012 will be having their day in the Court of First Instance on Tuesday and Wednesday (April 9th and 10th, 2013).

Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos confirmed that there are about 20 relatives of the Kings who are already on the island to witness the two day proceedings. Charged with the brutal slaying of the Kings is Meyshane Kemar Johnson (29), a national of Jamaica who was residing and working on the island illegally. Johnson already confessed to police while in pre-trail detention that he stabbed the Kings to death while attempting to rob their home. The second suspect is a Dutch national of Jamaican parentage Jeremiah Chevon Mills (17), while the third suspect is Guyanese national Jamal Jefferson Woolford (20). Woolford was arrested by the FBI in St. Thomas when he tried to escape from St. Maarten. The three suspects are also charged with robbing the Happy Star Chinese Restaurant located on Cannegieter Street, Philipsburg.

Police managed to track down the Kings' killers because they shot at the vehicle the three suspects used to rob Happy Star Chinese Restaurant before they slaughtered the Kings. When Police recovered the vehicle they shot at they found credit cards and a cellular phone belonging to the Kings. However, the bodies of the Kings were found two days later on September 21st, 2012 when their friend and business partner could not reach them by phone.

While the official trial starts on Tuesday, this is not the first time the suspects have appeared in the Court of First Instance. The main suspect Meyshane Kemar Johnson appeared several times and even before the Appeals Court fighting for his freedom because the Prosecutor's Office made several blunders when they served him with at least three summons to appear in front of the judge in the pro-forma hearing.

The suspects also attended a closed door session when Police and the judge in the case conducted a re-enactment of the killings at the home of the Kings.

While the Prosecution has already dotted the I's and crossed the T's on the case they intend to bring before the court on Tuesday, Chief Prosecutor Hans Mos said that his office still had to take a decision on what amount of time they will ask the court to impose on the three suspects. Mos said that decision will be taken on Monday afternoon. Mos further stated that the death penalty has not yet been ruled out.

LAST UPDATED ( TUESDAY, 09 APRIL 2013 01:07 )
 

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Video at the link

http://www.abcnews4.com/story/21914399/murder-trial-of-michael-and-thelma-king-to-start-tuesday

Murder trial of Michael and Thelma King to start Tuesday

Posted: Apr 08, 2013 9:51 PM CDT
Updated: Apr 08, 2013 10:39 PM CDT

By Valencia Wicker
vwicker@abcnews4.com

ST. MAARTEN (WCIV) – The murder trial of 3 men accused of stabbing to death a Mount Pleasant couple is set to begin Tuesday.

September of 2012, Michael and Thelma King were found dead in their beach front home in St. Maarten, an island in the Caribbean.

"This shouldn't happen to anyone let alone to a nice couple like the Kings," said Taco Stein, Solicitor General in St. Maarten.

Stein called the crime scene horrific. It took investigators several weeks to find the 3 men they say are responsible, and even longer to piece together how the crime took place.

"One of them started out making statements but, later on in the investigation he decided not to answer any questions," said  Stein. "So, we had to literally piece together the evidence from the crime scene based on the partial statements they made we did a re-enactment."

Stein says after a confession from one of the suspects, investigators were able to re-constructed the crime scene.

"We do have more than enough in this case but, it is not an easy conviction. These cases are never easy of course," Stein said.

Stein says the St. Maarten court system is different than in the States. He says the case will not be heard by jury, but only by a judge and investigators.

"The whole investigation is heard in court by the people who've actually done the investigation. They question them and in our case the whole investigation has been written down in formal reports and affidavits and so on and so on," Stein said. "We'd done it before hand throw reports to the defense so that they can study it and that report will be discussed in court."

Stein says the suspects face up to life in prison. A sentencing hearing is set for May.

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http://www.wistv.com/story/21935678/defense-rests-case-in-st-maarten-murder-trial

Defense rests case in St. Maarten murder trial

Posted: Apr 10, 2013 4:00 PM CDT
Updated: Apr 10, 2013 4:00 PM CDT
By Keke Collins - email
 

Suspects walking into court on Tuesday. (Source: Judith Roumou/YouTube)

ST. MAARTEN (WCSC) -
The defense has rested its case in the trial of three men accused of murdering Mike and Thelma King, a South Carolina couple who had a home on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten.

The suspects, 20-year-old Jamal Jefferson Woolford, 28-year-old Meyshane Johnson and 17-year-old Jeremiah Mills will be brought back to court on May 8. They will also be sentenced on that date.

During the trial on Wednesday, all three men apologized to the King family for their actions as the trial wrapped up, but the defense spent a large part of the morning presenting its side of the case.

Johnson's attorney claimed there were procedural errors made by prosecutor when they summoned her client in January.  Prosecutors admitted to an issue with a court summons, but said the law provides a remedy for such mistakes.

Johnson's attorney asked that he be charged with manslaughter instead of  murder and also requested a lighter sentence than life in prison, which was suggested by prosecutors in court Tuesday.

Woolford's attorney painted a picture of a young man financially strapped trying to support a pregnant girlfriend. She said Woolford does not deny he was in the Kings' home September 19 where he robbed them and tied up Thelma King.  However, Woolford said it was Johnson who killed the couple.

Attorneys for all three men said the murders were not planned.

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http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130408/PC16/130409349/1268/family-friends-of-mount-pleasant-couple-in-st-maarten-for-murder-trial&source=RSS

Family, friends of Mount Pleasant couple in St. Maarten for murder trial

Glenn Smith Posted: Monday, April 8, 2013 11:39 a.m.
UPDATED: Monday, April 8, 2013 11:57 a.m.

Maho Beach, ST. MAARTEN – A light breeze rustled the thatch roof outside the Driftwood Boat Bar as a group of Americans gathered to remember a Mount Pleasant couple who loved to come to this spot before tragedy struck in September.

Teal waves lapped at the white sands just a few yards from the bar, built in the belly of an old fishing boat, as arriving planes roared overhead, descending into the island airport across the narrow road. Down the street, brave beachgoers lined up along a chain link fence to see who could keep from getting blown off by the powerful exhaust of departing planes.


Sign outside the Driftwood Boat Bar. (Glenn Smith/staff)


Malena Osorio, bartender at the Driftwood Boat Bar, one of the recipients of Mike and Thelma King's generosity. When they learned her car had broken in half, they came up with the money to buy her a new one. (Glenn Smith/staff)

 ::snipping2::

On Tuesday, three men accused of killing the couple are scheduled to stand trial in the nearby city of Philipsburg for the murders. They are accused of fatally stabbing the Kings during a robbery at their beachfront condo, just down the road from the Driftwood bar in Cupecoy.

Some 20 friends and relatives are on the island to attend the proceeding, which will be conducted under Dutch law. The trial is expected to last two days or less. The suspects face the possibility of life in prison if convicted.

The deaths struck a deep chord on the island. St. Maarten has its share of crime, but tourist killings are uncommon here. And the Kings, part-time residents who had invested in rental property and a rum factory, were well-known for their kindness and generosity.

Consider the story of Malena Osorio, a Colombian-born bartender at the boat bar who got to know the Kings about five years ago.

She recalled the time her car, an old Hyundai, literally broke in half when it hit a curb while she was out buying juice for the bar. When the Kings heard about her plight, they went out and bought her new, cherry red Hyundai so she could get to work and keep her job.

“I started crying,” she said, shaking her head. “I couldn’t believe it. I thought to myself ‘I’ve got real friends here.’”

Vicki Cline, a Myrtle Beach resident who lives part-time on the island, tells a similar story. Mike King approached her day one curious about why she gave the Haitian-born cook at her restaurant a ride home every night. Cline explained that the woman had no money for a refrigerator, so Cline would buy her a hot meal nightly on the ride home to make sure she had something fresh to eat.

King pulled two $100 bills out of his pocket and told Cline to buy the woman a refrigerator so she would have an easier life.

“That’s just the kind of people Mike and Thelma were,” Cline said. “They were just giving, loving people to everyone.”

Some islanders think the Kings’ slayings have had a chilling effect on visitors, and some of their mainland friends acknowledge they had mixed feelings about returning to St. Maarten.

The Kings’ relatives, however, have made a point of coming back.

Michael King’s brother, Todd, has been here at least once a month since the killings. That’s partly because the family wanted to keep close tabs on the case and show island authorities they were committed to getting justice. But they also wanted to show they had not lost faith in the island Mike and Thelma held so dear.

“Mike and Thelma loved this island,” Michael King’s brother, Finley, said. “The last thing they would want is for the people of St. Maarten to suffer.”

If anything, the outpouring of support from islanders, from the prime minister on down, has reinforced their faith in St. Maarten.

If the family stayed away, Todd King said, then his brother’s killers will have won, on some level. They are not about to let that happen. He compares the situation to a tug-of-war battle, and his family has no intention of ceding ground to fear.

“They did all the damage they are going to do that night,” he said. “From now on, it’s about pulling the rope back to this side.”

 ::snipping2::

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http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130407/PC16/130409444/1268/murdered-mount-pleasant-couple-x2019-s-family-seeks-justice-in-trial-starting-tuesday-on-st-maarten&source=RSS

Mount Pleasant family seeks justice in St. Maarten
Glenn Smith Posted: Sunday, April 7, 2013 12:01 a.m.

Finley King of Mount Pleasant will hop a plane today to join other members of his family on the sun-splashed island of St. Maarten.

Unlike other travelers this time of year, the Kings aren’t visiting the island for spring break, white sandy beaches or the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean.

Six months ago, their relatives, Michael and Thelma King of Mount Pleasant, were found stabbed to death in their beach-front condo in what police say was a robbery gone bad.

On Tuesday, the three men charged in the killings will stand trial in what is expected to be a closely watched affair in the tiny Dutch territory. The grisly murders sparked heated debate about crime in St. Maarten as ripples of grief stretched from the island to South Carolina.

If convicted, the trio faces the possibility of life in prison, Solicitor General Taco Stein said. St. Maarten does not have the death penalty.

The Kings’ relatives have been on hand for each of the suspects’ court appearances, and some 20 friends and family members are gathering for the trial. They’ve felt a need to make their presence known, to reflect their concern and loss, even though they’ve been unable to understand much of the court dialogue, which has been in Dutch.

Prosecutors outlined their case for the family and worked to educate them in the intricacies of the Dutch legal system, which is quite different from our own. And islanders, from the prime minister on down, have gone out of their way to show them kindness and support.

“It’s been a lot, dealing with not only their deaths but the legal proceedings as well,” said Finley King, Michael’s younger brother. “But (the authorities) have done a real good job of coaching us in how the law works and how the proceedings work.”

His brother, Todd King of Columbia, agreed. “From Day 1, they have done a fantastic job educating us and telling us what to expect.”

No jury involved

All three suspects will be tried at once, and the proceeding is expected to last up to two days. The entire proceeding will be conducted in Dutch, but an English interpreter will be on hand to translate.

Under the Dutch system, the case will be presented to a judge who will render a verdict at later date, likely in early May. No jury is involved and witnesses are few, with much of the proceeding revolving around written statements and evidence investigators have amassed, Stein said.

“It is a little bit different than the trials you see in the United States,” he said.

While closely following the case, the family also banded together to see that Mike’s and Thelma’s dream of opening a rum factory came to fruition. The couple had invested in the rum business of close island friends Topper and Melanie Daboul, and together they planned to produce and sell Topper’s Rhum beyond St., Maarten,

With help from the Kings’ family, the first shipment of the flavored rum arrived in South Carolina in January, and plans for nationwide distribution are underway.

Columbia natives

For the couple’s relatives, the endeavor was rather therapeutic, allowing them to work together as a family and focus on something positive, Finley King said.

His brother, Todd, said the work has brought them great satisfaction. “It’s like carrying the torch for them and carrying their dreams and wishes forward.”

 ::snipping2::

Rumors and speculation swirled around the crime, with some reports suggesting that the Kings were slain in a murder-for-hire plot or in connection with their rum business.

Prosecutors dismissed the reports as ludicrous, and they maintain that the evidence indicates the slayings stemmed from a robbery.

“That is still our assumption,” Stein said. “I haven’t heard any other motive mentioned.”

Authorities said they found Michael King’s credit cards and cellphone inside a getaway car used in the robbery of an island Chinese restaurant, to which the three suspects also have been tied.

Johnson has confessed to his role in the killings, and the other suspects have also provided statements, authorities have said.

Different system

The trial was initially scheduled for Jan. 22 but was postponed so psychiatric evaluations of the suspects could be conducted.

Still, the case is going to trial much more quickly than it would at home, where murder cases can take two or three years to reach the docket.

The anticipated one- or two-day duration also stands in stark contrast to many U.S. murder trials, including the current Jodi Arias trial in Arizona, which has now dragged on for more than 40 days.

Another interesting facet of the Dutch legal system was a gathering last month in which the three suspects participated in a re-enactment of the killings at the scene of the crime.

The proceeding, which was closed to the public, was attended by defense attorneys, prosecutors, police and the judge.

It reportedly took place under heavy security, with a SWAT team and the island coast guard close by.

Such reconstructions are held so that authorities can corroborate the information offered by suspects and gauge the veracity of their accounts, Stein said. “We look to see whether their statements corroborate each other,” he said.

Todd King said the prosecution went to a lot of time and expense conducting the reconstruction, as well as thoroughly investigating the case.

“They were making sure they did this right,” he said, “and we saw that as very favorable.”

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http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130410/PC16/130419962/1268/testimony-suspects-partied-at-st-maarten-brothel-after-slitting-throats-of-michael-thelma-king&source=RSS

Testimony: Suspects partied at St. Maarten brothel after slitting throats of Michael, Thelma King
Glenn Smith Posted: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 12:01 a.m.
UPDATED: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 1:45 p.m.

Philipsburg, ST. MAARTEN — Michael King soundly slept in a chair in front of the flickering television as three young men, buzzed on liquor and a night of violence, climbed onto the balcony of his beach house in search of easy money.

They had spotted lights on at his villa and open shutters, indicating that the place was occupied and potential prey lay inside. They quietly crept inside through an unlocked door.

The 53-year-old Mount Pleasant man didn’t realize they were there until they tapped his face with a pistol and demanded cash.

In the minutes that followed, the retired insurance executive’s world imploded in a burst of gruesome and unnecessary violence. When it was over, he and his wife Thelma, who the men bound, gagged and blindfolded, lay dead in a pool of blood, their throats slit and their money gone, island prosecutors said.

Their pockets stuffed with cash, the men then headed for an island brothel, where they blew some of their illegal proceeds on booze and prostitutes, authorities said.

The three men charged in the killings — Meyshane Kemar Johnson, 28; Jeremiah Chevon Mills, 17; and Jamal Jefferson Woolford, 20 — appeared Tuesday in a cramped, historic courtroom in this tourist-friendly city. They are each charged with six offenses related to the robbery and slayings of the Kings and a Chinese restaurant holdup earlier that same September evening.

Prosecutors have recommended life in prison for Johnson, accused of savaging the Kings with a pair of knives. They recommend 28 years for Mills and 24 for Woolford, who reportedly participated to a lesser degree in the actual killings.

The proceeding, expected to conclude today, is much different than trials in the United States. Much of the first half of the day consisted of Judge Tamara Tijhuis questioning the suspects about their actions and roles in the events of Sept. 19.

Each gave damning statements to police about their actions, and each admitted Tuesday to various criminal acts. But their stories have changed with time, and Johnson, who initially divulged all sorts of detailed depravities, now contends that he can’t remember a thing about that night.

“I said to myself ‘Is this possible?’ But I just don’t see myself that way,” he told the court. “Why would I kill somebody I didn’t know?”

Later, prosecutors recounted details of the suspects’ troubled lives and offered their take on what occurred, based on confessions, witness statements, video, autopsy files, phone records and various other evidence.

“Mike and Thelma King were slaughtered because three young men decided they needed easy money,” prosecutor Dounia Benammar told the judge.

Violent night

According to the prosecution, things played out this way:

Johnson, a short and wiry Jamaican living in the country illegally, picked up Mills, his cousin, in a borrowed Hyundai with tinted windows and a pin-up girl sticker on the rear window. They grabbed Mills’ friend Woolford as well, and as they drove around drinking, Mills suggested they commit a robbery to get some cash.

The settled on the Happy Star Chinese restaurant. While Johnson sat in the getaway car with the engine running, Mills and Woolford dashed inside with pellet guns, scared the clientele and took off with handfuls of cash.

Police spotted them as they tried to make their getaway and blasted several rounds at the car, with one lodging in the trunk. The robbers brushed off the close call and raced off in search of more action.

They switched license plates and drove around, winding around the French side of the island until they landed back in the Dutch territory. They headed into the Cupecoy area, where Johnson parked the car at Ocean Club Villas.

They walked down to the beach and spotted the lights on in the Kings’ beachfront home. They then headed there with robbery on their minds.

They roughed up Mike King some to get him to divulge where his money was. He told them he kept some cash in an upstairs safe in the bedroom where his wife was sleeping. Johnson held Mike King in a choke hold, with a knife pressed to his neck, while Mills and Woolford snuck upstairs.

They caught Thelma King unaware as well, scaring her so much she had trouble opening the safe on the first couple of tries.

Mills said he promised Thelma King they wouldn’t hurt her. It wouldn’t take long to break that promise.

After Mills and Woolford marched her downstairs, they tore up a towel and used the strips to tie her to a chair. They put a gag in her mouth and blindfolded her.

About this point their stories start to differ, prosecutors said.

Johnson told police he cut Mike King’s throat almost by accident when King suddenly moved in an attempt to help his wife. He explained that he then stabbed him again because King was suffering.

He told police he slit Thelma King’s throat as well because he thought she would be in too much pain losing her husband.

Prosecutors said the severity of Michael King’s initial wound doesn’t support Johnson’s story. It was a deep cut, not a glancing blow. Johnson then stabbed King in the back with so much force that the tip of the knife broke off. He had one of his accomplices — most likely Mills — hand him another knife, which Johnson used to stab King in the neck several more times, severing a key artery, prosecutors said.

Prosecutor Georges van den Eshof said Johnson then turned on Thelma, whom he described as “a completely harmless and helpless victim.” An autopsy showed her throat was cut twice, so deeply it severed her windpipe and scarred vertebrae on the other side, he said.

Mills and Woolford insist they were outside when the killings occurred. While Johnson appeared to have been alone in the house when Thelma King was killed, all indications are that the other two men were around for Mike King’s stabbing and could have intervened to save his wife, prosecutors said.

They left after the violence, and Johnson told police he tossed the second knife into the ocean and washed his bloody hands in the surf. After using whiskey to finish the cleanup, they went in search of prostitutes and liquor, though none of the three was sure which robbery loot financed this excursion.

Mills also maintained that he wasn’t there — “I don’t know nothing about a murder” — and he continued to push a story that he and his friends stole a brick of cocaine from the Kings’ safe along with a stack of $100 bills. Prosecutors and the judge said the assertion appeared baseless and that forensic tests showed no trace of drugs in the safe.

Family’s question

The Kings’ relatives and friends packed the small courtroom and sat quietly, some sniffing back tears, as the horrific evening was recounted again and again.

Prosecutors and the judge quoted a heartfelt statement the family provided to the court. They said they and the family had one burning question: Why didn’t the suspects just leave after getting the cash instead of killing the couple?

The suspects offered no firm answers to that question during the more than six-hour proceeding.

Again and again, Johnson kept claiming memory loss and Mills kept insisting, “There was no plan. There was never a plan. It just happened.”

Defense attorneys will get a chance to argue their positions when the trial resumes this morning.

The judge is expected to render a verdict and impose sentencing in early May.

[texasmom]

 

[texasmom]

Some of the articles mention a "pistol", this one says it was a knife.

http://www.live5news.com/story/21921597/couples-murder-trial-begins-in-st-maarten

Defense to present its side in murdered couple's case in St. Maarten

Posted: Apr 09, 2013 1:00 PM CDT
Updated: Apr 10, 2013 2:30 PM CDT
By Keke Collins - email

ST. MAARTEN (WCSC) -
The trial of three men accused of murdering and robbing a South Carolina couple in St. Maarten will continue on Wednesday when the defense will present its side of the case.

The first day of the trial began a little after 9 a.m., two hours after family and friends of Mike and Thelma King started waiting outside, to make sure they got a seat.

"I was hoping to get justice...what these guys deserve," said Finley King, Mike King's brother."The max sentence obviously. We would be very happy with."

The judge spent much of the morning discussing an alleged armed robbery at the Happy Star restaurant, which happened hours before the murders of the Kings. The three suspects from the murders, 28-year-old Meyshane Johnson, 20-year-old Jamal Jefferson Woodford, and 17-year-old Jeremiah Mills are all accused of committing that armed robbery.

Prosecutors said the trio had been drinking while riding around in a borrowed car before they decided to rob the restaurant at gunpoint. Shortly after that robbery, investigators said the trio switched license plates on their vehicle and drove to the Ocean Beach Villas in Cupecoy, where the Kings lived.

According to Mills, the three suspects gained entry into the King's villa by climbing over the balcony.

Mills said when they got inside Mike King was asleep in a chair. The suspects saw an iPhone and laptop in the villa but decided they wanted money. They got a knife from the kitchen, tapped King on the face with it to wake him, and asked him where he kept money in the house. He told them it was upstairs in a safe.

Meyshane Johnson held Mike King at knifepoint, while Jamal Jefferson Woolford and Jermiah Mills went upstairs where Thelma King was sleeping. Both suspects woke her up and held her at gunpoint as she opened up the safe. They got an undisclosed amount of cash out of the safe.

Mills claimed he found illegal drugs in it as well, but forensic testing after the murders showed no trace amounts. Woolford and Mills then brought Thelma King downstairs. Mills said he was concerned she would alert authorities to what happened.

Prosecutors said Woolford and Mills then tied Thelma King to a chair, blindfolded her and gagged her. According to prosecutors, Johnson then stabbed to death both victims.  Mike King had his throat cut and was stabbed so hard the knife broke off in his back, prosecutors said. Thelma's throat was slit so severely the knife actually hit the backbone in her neck, according to testimony.

The judge said Johnson initially confessed to police he was responsible for the stabbing, but during court Tuesday, he said he could not remember if he did.  Johnson repeatedly answered "I don't remember" as he was questioned by the judge in St. Maarten.

Both Mills and Woolford said they were not in the home at the time of the Sept. 19 stabbing.

Testimony revealed that after the killings, the suspects went to a brothel. They also had more to drink, but could not remember if they used the money stolen from the Kings or the Happy Star.

All three suspects contended they did not know the Kings, but investigators revealed Johnson had previously worked for the company that did security at the villa, but did not specifically work at that location.

Investigators also said Woolford worked at Topper's Restaurant, which is owned by the Kings' good friends and business partners, Topper and Melanie Daboul. The Kings had partnered with the Dabouls for a rum venture which launched earlier this year.

 ::snipping2::

[texasmom]

http://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/11808-kings-murder-trial-underway-prosecutor-demands-life-for-johnson-mills-faces-28-years-while-woolford-24-years-defense-to-argue-on-wednesday.html

Kings Murder Trial Underway --- Prosecutor Demands Life for Johnson, Mills Faces 28 years while Woolford 24 years --- Defense to Argue on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY, 10 APRIL 2013 01:13    SMN NEWS TEAM 


Cupe Coy murder suspects: Meyshane Kemar Johnson, Jeremiah Chevon Mills, and Jamal Jefferson Woolford leaving the Court House on Tuesday afternoon.

Philipsburg:--- The Court of First Instance was packed to its capacity on Tuesday with relatives including the mother and siblings of Michael King as well as friends of the couple when the prosecution presented its case against the three suspects who were arrested shortly after Michael and Thelma King were brutally murdered in their Cupe Coy condominium. Among the bereaved relatives in the court room on Monday morning were the mother and uncle of Jamal Jefferson Woolford; however, Woolford's mother and uncle left the courtroom shortly after the proceedings started.

The three suspects are Meyshane Kemar Johnson, a national of Jamaica, his first cousin Jeremiah Chevon Mills, born on St. Maarten with Jamaican and Grenadian parentage, and Jamal Jefferson Woolford of Guyana, the trio is facing six charges, which are murder/manslaughter, armed robbery, laundering of goods they obtained from the robberies, and unlawful detention of the victims. The prosecution asked the court to sentence Meyshane Kemar Johnson to life imprisonment because he is the one who killed the Kings. As for Jeremiah Chevon Mills who was 17 years old when he committed the crimes, the prosecution believes that they have enough evidence to ask the court to sentence Mills to life imprisonment especially because he was convicted twice before and he was the one that orchestrated the robberies but because of his age the prosecution asked that Mills be sentenced to 28 years imprisonment. Jamal Jefferson Woolford does not have any criminal record prior to this murder but considering the magnitude of the crimes he committed, the prosecution asked that he be sentenced to 24 years imprisonment. Prosecutor Dounia Benammar and George van der Eshof told the court that they believe that they have sufficient evidence to prove all the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

Based on the evidence the prosecution provided to the court which consists of video images, the three suspects robbed Happy Star Restaurant and even though police fired several shots at them, one of which hit the back of the getaway car, they went to Maho and Mills went into a casino probably to see if they could have robbed the casino. They then went to the Cupe Coy later that night and robbed and killed the Kings. Among some of the items stolen from the Kings were an iPhone, laptops, stacks of money, and a grey bag that was taken from a safe that contained items that are unknown to the police and a credit card belonging to Micheal King.. After all of that, the suspects then went to Casa Blanca where they continued to drink and have fun with prostitutes.

The suspects told the court they needed monies, yet they choose to spend the loot on prostitutes and alcohol. The laptop stolen from the Kings home the suspects claimed they threw it away on the French side, while Jeremiah Mills kept Thelma King's iPhone. It is through wire tap police managed to locate Johnson and Mills shortly after the crime was committed. Woolford was arrested 10 days later when he escaped to the US Virgin Islands but was brought back to St. Maarten shortly after he landed there.


Relatives of the Kings leaving the Court House on Tuesday afternoon.

The Prosecution asked the Court to sentence Johnson to life imprisonment for the cold blooded murder of Micheal and Thelma King as well as the other crimes associated with the robbery of the Happy Star Restaurant and the robbery committed at the homes of the Kings prior to them being murdered by Meyshane Kemar Johnson. The Prosecution said Woolford and Mills tied Thelma King to a chair and blind folded her after she opened the safe and gave them the monies they had in a safe and a grey bag containing jewelry. Johnson headlocked Micheal King whom they found sleeping on a sofa and held a sharp knife to his neck while Mills and Woolford looked for valuables, they found the iPhone and laptop on a table inside the house but that was not enough so they poked Micheal King twice to wake him up and asked him to hand over all the monies he had. The prosecution said that Micheal told the suspects that his wife was upstairs sleeping and that there were monies in the safe. According to the statements given by the suspects, Thelma King panicked when she was awakened by Mills and Woolford but she managed to open the safe after several attempts. Mills told the court that Thelma King begged him not to hurt her and he promised her that he would not have done so if she cooperated and gave them what they wanted. After taking the monies and a grey bag they brought Thelma King downstairs where Johnson was holding her husband at knife point.

The session started off with Judge Tamara Tyghuis reading the suspects their rights then she posed several questions to the suspects on their role in the robbery of the Happy Star Restaurant on Cannegieter Street and the brutal killing of the Kings later that same night. Judge Tyghuis asked Johnson several questions as to what he did that night but Johnson kept saying he could not remember anything despite giving the police a detailed statement on the robbery of Happy Star Restaurant and the robbery and murder of Micheal and Thelma King on September 19th, 2012. Johnson made his statement to police on October 2nd, 2012 when he told police that he was at the Happy Star Restaurant earlier that day with Mills drinking, later he left the restaurant when his friend Peter Hunt called him to repair his car. Johnson later returned to the Happy Star Restaurant and then left with Mills to pick up Woolford at his home. The trio then returned and robbed the Happy Star Restaurant. During the robbery at Happy Star Restaurant, Johnson stayed in the car while Mills and Woolford robbed the business establishment.

Despite the statements given by the three suspects where they each confessed their roles in the two robberies and killing of the Kings; on Monday during the trial they all changed their stories. Meyshane Kemar Johnson told Judge repeatedly that he could not remember anything because he consumed a lot of alcohol that day. During the questioning, Attorney Brenda Brooks asked the judge for a brief recess so she could speak with her client Meyshane Kemar Johnson. Even when responding to the questions Brooks posed to Johnson he said he could not remember.

Background information on Meyshane Kemar Johnson.

Meyshane Kemar Johnson, the oldest of the three suspects was born in Jamaica where he attended school but left early to work so that he could assist his family financially. He worked in the construction field, as a mechanic, and also did agriculture in his homeland. Johnson then migrated to St. Maarten where he did odd jobs as a mechanic. In 2007, Johnson had a run in with the police due to his psychiatric and delusional condition and he was deported back to Jamaica but Johnson returned to St. Maarten that same year. In 2011, he began working at Checkmate Security as a security guard until the time of his arrest.

The psychiatric report issued by Dr. Gaudutrag of the Mental Health Foundation and a statement from Johnson's mother states that Johnson began consuming alcohol at a very young age (10 to 12 years old). Johnson also had two episodes of psychotic and delusional illness, once when he was in Jamaica and once in St. Maarten. On both occasions, Johnson was admitted to an institution in Jamaica where he received treatment. The report further stated that Johnson abused the use of alcohol but even though he drank heavily on September 19th, 2012, he knew exactly what he was doing when he went to pick up Woolford so that he and Jeremiah Mills could rob Happy Star Restaurant. Johnson is the father of three children all of whom are residing in Jamaica. He told the court he regretted his actions, he said that if he was conscious of his actions he would not have been in court charged with the crimes he committed. One of his wishes is to be able to see and care for his children. He also wants to know how long he has to remain in prison because his intention is to work while in prison.

Jeremiah Chevon Mills --- A Youngster with a monstrous record.

Jeremiah Chevon Mills (18) was convicted twice for robbery. In 2010, Mills was convicted for robbery and at that time he was sentenced to serve community service, but that did not work because in 2011 Mills was arrested again for theft. He was sentenced to 18 months, 15 months suspended sentence and two years probation but Mills still did not understand the consequences of his actions because by September 2012 he was back in prison for the armed robbery that was committed at the Happy Star Restaurant and the brutal murder of the Kings. Mills did not seem to be afraid of the justice system because of the way he answered some of the questions. At one point, he said that just by looking at the Kings house he knew they had money. He also told the court he wanted a "blow job" and the prostitute in Casa Blanca did not give it to him. Yet he stayed there from 12 to 2am when they left to take Woolford home and went back to the house of prostitution for more fun and pleasure.

Mills told the court that on the day he committed the robberies at Happy Star and at the Kings residence he was stoned. "I was popping pills, smoking marijuana, and drinking alcohol all day." When he was asked by the judge if he was ever at Happy Star Restaurant he told the court he did not even know where Happy Star Restaurant is located, but his cousin Meyshane Kemar Johnson told the court that both he and Mills were at Happy Star drinking on September 19th, 2012.

The Prosecution believes that the two suspects went to Happy Star to scout and plan the robbery they committed later that evening. Mills told Judge Tyhuis that the grey bag he took from the Kings' safe had one kilo of cocaine inside and he sold it for several thousand dollars, but he could not remember exactly how much money he sold the drugs for. He also told the court and police that he buried the monies in his yard but that money was never found. Mills even attacked the forensic evidence gathered by police which showed that there were no drugs in the safe. "If the forensic people did their job correctly they would have seen that drugs were inside that safe." Prosecutor Dounia Benammar asked Mills if he knew how much is one kilo of cocaine, he responded in the affirmative saying he knew because he sells it and the prosecutor should know that drugs can be compressed and she should not be fooled by the size of the safe.

The court was told that Jeremiah Mills had a rocky childhood because at age five his mother sent him to Jamaica to live with her sister because she was working two jobs. This according to the prosecution affected Jeremiah, his mother brought him back to St. Maarten when she learnt he was using marijuana but when his mother could not control him she sent him to his father who is living in Grenada. "That was the first time Jeremiah saw his father and the two could not get along so he returned to St. Maarten but the relationship between Jeremiah and his mother never got better."

Mills told the court that he went to Cupe Coy Beach prior to September 19th because he sells drugs there but maintained he did not know the Kings and the robbery and killings they committed that night were not planned. He said they went into the Kings house because a light was on and the shutters were not closed therefore they had easy access to the home.

Jamal Jefferson Woolford --- An Independent young man.

The court was told that Woolford was born in Guyana, he never knew his biological father but he said that he did not lack anything. He received his elementary education in Guyana and his secondary education on St. Maarten. Woolford worked at Bobby's Marina for two years. The prosecution told the court that they interviewed Woolford's mother and up to now his mother cannot understand how her son got himself into trouble, especially a case of such magnitude. Woolford was an independent young man who went to live on his own when he made 18 years old. He also told the court that he had lots of debts like paying his rent and having a pregnant girlfriend and that is what led him to commit the crimes even though he did not know what Johnson and Mills picked him up for that evening. It should be noted that Woolford worked for Topper's Restaurant but maintained that he did not know the victims. He told the court that he worked at the restaurant on the beach and he did not pay keen attention to the patrons or friends of Toppers. It should be noted that Toppers and the Kings had signed a business deal two days prior to their brutal murder. They intended to open a rum factory on St. Maarten.

Prosecutor Dounia Benammar told the court that the three suspects acted out of greed all because they wanted quick money. The killing of the Kings left the entire community in shock; the relatives of the Kings still cannot understand why the suspects killed Micheal and Thelma King because they got the monies and other valuable items they went to look for. Prosecutor Benammar and Judge Tyhuis asked the suspects why killed them, and why they did not leave when they got the monies and the grey bag they took out of the Kings safe. Woolford told the police and the court that he told the Jamaican (Johnson) not to kill them, he said he saw what Johnson wanted to do so he left the house and went on the porch and then to the beach. Mills said he did not participate in the killings but Johnson said that Mills gave him a second knife because when he (Johnson) cut Michael's throat he was suffering and he wanted to make his death easy so he stabbed him in his back and the knife blade broke inside of the victim. "At that point he asked for another knife and Mills took a second knife from the kitchen and gave it to Johnson. Johnson used that knife to inflict a few more stab wounds on Michael. By then Mills had left the house and Johnson then decided to kill Thelma when she called out for her husband. Johnson told police that he killed Thelma because he did not want her to suffer because he had killed her husband, the other thing he feared is that Thelma would have alerted the security and police so to cover up their crimes he stayed in the house and slashed Thelma King throat twice, cutting her wind pipe and main arteries causing her death almost instantly. The trial continues on Wednesday at 8:30 am. Judge Tyhuis told the court that Attorney at Law Brenda Brooks will start the proceedings on Wednesday morning. Three lawyers will be defending their clients on Wednesday then the Prosecution will begin with rebuttals. The last word she said will end with the three suspects.

Click here to view more photos of the Kings Murder Trail on Tuesday.

LAST UPDATED ( WEDNESDAY, 10 APRIL 2013 10:23 )
 

[texasmom]

 ::justice2NJ::

[texasmom]

http://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/12080-court-finds-king-murder-suspects-guilty-johnson-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment-mills-received-28-years-and-woolford-22-years-family-of-the-kings-showed-severe-emotions-after-decision-was-pronounced.html


Court Finds King Murder Suspects Guilty --- Johnson sentenced to Life Imprisonment, Mills Received 28 years, and Woolford 22 years --- Family of the Kings showed Severe Emotions after Decision was pronounced.
THURSDAY, 09 MAY 2013 00:00    SMN NEWS TEAM  User Rating:  / 4

Philipsburg:--- Judge Tamara Thyhius sent a strong message to the three suspects that were found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of murdering American citizens Michael and Thelma King on September 19th, 2012 and also for robbing the Happy Star Chinese Restaurant earlier that same evening. The main suspect Meyshane Kemar Johnson, a national of Jamaica, was sentenced to life imprisonment. Judge Thyhuis told Johnson that his actions on the evening of September 19th, 2012 were intentional and premeditated, while he acted out of greed when he robbed and murdered the Kings. Judge Thyhuis further told Johnson that his demeanor in the courtroom during the trial did not give her reason to believe that he is remorseful for his actions, especially towards the King family and the community of St. Maarten. Judge Thyhuis said the murder of the Kings basically destroyed the community of St. Maarten and affected the island's economy and tourism industry. The arguments presented by Johnson's lawyer Brenda Brooks were not considered especially when she asked the court to deem the prosecutor's case inadmissible. Judge Thyhuis said that there is no decision by any court that would show that the court or the prosecution infringed on Johnson's rights when they served him two summons on the same day. She said that the court found it legally and convincingly proven that Johnson robbed the Happy Star Chinese Restaurant and he also robbed the Kings and took their lives. Judge Thyhuis said the murders were intentional and premeditated, therefore the court found Johnson guilty of murdering both Michael and Thelma King and the punishment for this crime can only be a life sentence, especially since Johnson can ask for clemency. Johnson was convicted on all the charges presented by the prosecution on April 10th, 2013.

The second suspect Jeremiah Chevon Mills was sentenced to 28 years imprisonment for the role he played in the brutal murders and robbery of the Kings and the Happy Star Chinese Restaurant. The court acquitted Mills for the murder of the Kings but found that he was indeed an accomplice to the killings that rocked St. Maarten. Judge Thyhuis said Mills is guilty of kidnapping Thelma King by using what looked like a gun to hold her hostage, tie her to a chair, and blindfold and gag her while he was also found guilty of giving Johnson a second knife to murder the Kings. Mills was also found guilty of laundering the monies and goods he gained from the robberies of Happy Star and the Kings.

Judge Thyhuis told Mills that she considered his age when deciding on his punishment as well as his criminal record. She told Mills that he did not show remorse for his actions during the trial and neither did he show any remorse towards the family of the Kings who are suffering the loss of their loved ones. As soon as Judge Tamara Thyhuis pronounced the 28 years sentence for Mills, he immediately asked for some water. But when leaving the courtroom, Mills looked at the King family all of whom attended the trial and smirked at them. He even told the police officer that was escorting him from the courtroom not to hold him. Judge Tamara Thyhuis sentenced the third suspect Jamal Jefferson Woolford to 22 years imprisonment for the robbery committed at the Happy Star Restaurant and the use of violence by cranking what appeared to be a gun. Woolford was acquitted for the murder of the Kings but he was also found guilty as an accomplice to the murders since he participated in kidnapping Thelma King, under threat he tied her to a chair and gagged and blindfolded her. Judge Thyhuis also found Woolford guilty on the charge of money laundering because he used the monies he gained from the two robberies along with the other two suspects on prostitutes and alcohol. She also found that Woolford did not show sufficient remorse for his actions and since the crimes he committed are serious, the court found that he should be put away for a very long period of time so that there is no recurrence of such crimes on St. Maarten.

 

LAST UPDATED ( THURSDAY, 09 MAY 2013 01:53 )

[texasmom]

There's also audio of the interview with the King family members that you can listen to at the link.  The murderers showed no remorse for the murders of Michael and Thelma King and even smiled and smirked at the family as they were leaving the court.

http://smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/12094-king-family-praised-police-for-their-hard-work-in-apprehending-suspects-people-of-st-maarten-showed-empathy-for-their-loss.html

King Family Praised Police for their hard work in Apprehending Suspects --- People of St. Maarten showed Empathy for their loss.
THURSDAY, 09 MAY 2013 23:43    SMN NEWS TEAM  User Rating:  / 1



Some of the King siblings at their hotel room on Thursday.

Airport:--- The relatives of slain Americans Michael and Thelma King had nothing but praise for the Police Department (KPSM) for apprehending the three suspects that murdered Michael and Thelma King in their Cupe Coy Condominium on September 19th, 2012. Todd King who spoke to SMN News on Thursday on behalf of the family said that the detectives (officers of KPSM) showed their professionalism when they assured them that those involved in murdering their loved ones will be apprehended and brought to justice.

Todd King said he is still wondering how the police department knew they were coming to St. Maarten the day after the murders took place. He said the family did not inform anyone that they were coming to the island. Todd King said he visited St. Maarten before but when they left their country to come and deal with the horrific deaths of their loved ones they were fearful of the island and did not know how they would have been treated. "I just don't know how the police knew we were coming but when I reached immigration and I gave my passport, suddenly I saw a hand waived and immediately after we were introduced to detective Dientje Muller who drove us straight to the police station where we met over 40 officers who all assured us that the killers will be found. We saw a police force that acted with professionalism and officers who felt our pain and sorrow." Todd King further explained that shortly after that they met with the Prosecutors who did a very good job in explaining to them the difference in the American law and the Dutch law and what they should expect at the trial. One of the things the Kings said they asked the Prosecution to do was to demand a life sentence for Johnson, the man who admitted to murdering Michael and Thelma King on several occasions.

"We read those statements and I want to state that the suspects told a different story in their statements to police when they were first apprehended and did not have contact with each other. But when they appeared in court on April 10th, 2013 they changed some of their statements. Johnson gave police five detailed statements prior to the trial and he gave police the gruesome details of the robberies and killings but in court on April 10th, 2013 he suddenly got amnesia. Another conflicting statement that was told to the court is that Jeremiah Chevon Mills and Jamal Jefferson Woolford claimed they were not inside the house when the murders took place. In the statements to police they admitted to being inside the house when Johnson killed Michael King. Jamal Jefferson Woolford told the court that he was not inside the villa when Michael King was killed but in his statements to police he gave details on how Mike was killed because he was inside the villa. We read the statements and we compared them and what the defense attorney told the court on April 10th was not reflective of what really transpired. We thought from the inception that if the judge read the statements we read then justice would have been served." Todd King said the entire family was convinced that the three murderers would not have gotten away.

When SMN News asked the Kings how they felt when they heard of the mistakes that were made by the prosecution, they said they discussed it but would prefer not to comment on that. They also said that the main suspect Meyshane Kemar Johnson smiled when he was leaving the courtroom on Wednesday even though he was given a lifetime sentence. They said they heard what Jeremiah Mills said to the police officer but they did not see when he smirked at them, but for them Johnson had a big smile on his face throughout the sentencing and when he left the courtroom.


Killings and Trial took a toll on Michael King's mother.

The siblings said that their mother could not return to St. Maarten to witness the outcome and the decision the judge rendered because after the trial she got really sick. "All of this took a lot out of our mother because when she went back to the United States after the trial she ended up being sick for a few weeks." When SMN News reporter asked how she reacted when she heard of the court decision, the siblings said their mother reacted very emotionally.


Who were Michael and Thelma King?

For the first time the King family decided to give information on Michael and Thelma King whose lives were snatched away by three greedy young men who were trying to get quick money. The King family said Michael and Thelma King dated from the time they were very young. They broke off their relationship when Michael moved away to Texas and went to study. When he returned to the home town after school he was a broke young man who went to live with his brother and his wife (Todd and Paula King). Not long after he returned home he met Thelma and they started back dating and finally they got married. Thelma King was five years older than Michael but they were a very happy couple. Thelma King was working in a major US bank.

Todd further explained that Mike's best friend Brad had an insurance agency and his friend hired him. Todd said within a period of time his brother did really well and he was promoted to a district manager and at some point he convinced his brother Todd to go and work with him and he too became a district manager. Sometime later, Michael was promoted to General Manager and that was when they moved to Charleston where he met David Kennedy. Todd said about ten years ago Michael and Thelma King visited St. Maarten with their friend David Kennedy. He said at some point his brother got out of the insurance business and got into business with David Kennedy in a labeling company. Todd said that Michael and David developed that company and that too became very successful. Some four to five years ago his brother sold that company and decided that he was going to further invest in St. Maarten. Todd said Michael and Thelma King were frequent visitors of St. Maarten and they invested in seven properties on the island. Their latest venture was to invest their monies in a rum factory. The King family described the couple as very friendly and they were people that everyone wanted to be around.

[texasmom]

http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20130509/PC16/130509249

Man who killed Mount Pleasant couple Michael and Thelma King in St. Maarten sentenced to life
Glenn Smith Posted: Thursday, May 9, 2013 12:10 a.m.

The man who slit the throats of a Mount Pleasant couple during a robbery at their St. Maarten villa smirked and smiled at the victims’ relatives after receiving a life term in prison Wednesday.

During a court hearing in the island capital of Philipsburg, Judge Tamara Tijhuis handed down the sentence after finding 29-year-old Meyshane Kemar Johnson and two other men guilty in the gruesome September killings of Michael and Thelma King.

Johnson’s co-defendants, Jeremiah Chevon Mills, 18, and Jamal Jefferson Woolford, 21, received 28 years and 22 years, respectively. Testimony during the trio’s two-day trial last month indicated that Mills and Woolford played lesser roles than Johnson in the actual killings.

Todd King, brother of Michael King, said he and his relatives who attended the proceeding were relieved and impressed with the hard work of prosecutors and Tijhuis. Life was the maximum sentence available for Johnson, as St. Maarten does not have the death penalty.

“This is everything they could do under their law,” Todd King said. “We were very happy with the outcome.”

Still, the defendants could appeal the verdicts and sentences, and Johnson’s attorney, Brenda Brooks, indicated Wednesday she intends to do just that. Under Dutch law, that could lead to a full retrial of the case as early as October or November, Solicitor General Taco Stein said.

“But we are confident this will also hold up in the high court,” he said. “We feel justice has been served in this case.”

Johnson, who smirked through most of the trial, showed little emotion as his sentence was imposed, and the former security guard smiled as he was led from the courtroom, several observers said. By contrast, Mills was clearly bothered by his sentence. He fidgeted in his chair, crushed a paper cup in his hand and mumbled something under his breath, Finley King, Michael King’s brother, said.

The trio declined an opportunity to address the court, but Tijhuis had plenty of words for them, admonishing the men for taking innocent lives, saddling the King family with grief and harming the friendly image of St. Maarten.

The Today newspaper quoted the judge’s ruling as saying:

“These acts of unnecessary and excessive deadly violence have cause feelings of fear and unsafety to the direct environment of the victims but also to the whole of St. Maarten. Furthermore the murders have triggered a wave of indignity and fear for St. Maarten’s economic stability, even though this is of a different magnitude in the context of the unspeakable sorrow it has caused to the next of kin. The victims Michael and Thelma King were guests on the island, and with the murders St. Maarten has been hit in its economic heart, the tourism industry.”

Karen King Moser, Michael King’s sister, said her family was pleased by the judge’s ruling and her strong words. “She was remarkable,” she said. “It was exactly what should have been done. And it was just such a relief to hear her compassion.”

The judge mostly followed the prosecutors’ recommended sentences in the case, though she gave Woolford two years less than they had requested. That’s because she found there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prove that he was an accessory to the actual killings, Finley King said.

The prospect of life for Johnson surprised some islanders, despite the severity of the crime. Life sentences are rare here because Dutch law strives to provide a “ray of hope” for offenders to encourage rehabilitation. Stein acknowledged that could be a sticking point on appeal.

Johnson’s attorney, Brooks, vowed to fight for a more lenient sentence on appeal, and she challenged procedural mistakes made by prosecutors in regard to a court summons for her client.

Stein said the court already has addressed those issues, and he doesn’t expect that argument to have any traction on appeal. “I don’t think there’s much chance with that,” he said.

Johnson claimed at trial to have no recollection of Sept. 19, the night of the murders. But he and his co-defendants had earlier provided investigators with a clearer picture of what happened.

 

The suspects are believed to have escaped with about $80,000 in jewelry and cash.

Todd King said he and his relatives were overcome with a flood of emotions when the verdicts finally came down. They remained rooted in their seats, hugging one another and fighting back tears. “It was very intense,” he said.

Finley King said he hopes the outcome of the case will bring his family some closure. “It was very emotional, but we feel like maybe we can move on a little bit from here,” he said.

[texasmom]

There is also audio at the link if anyone would like to hear the interviews.

http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/11816-king-family-refutes-allegation-that-michael-and-thelma-king-had-drugs-in-their-condominium-bag-had-thelma-king-s-jewelry-also-no-contract-was-signed-before-the-murder-of-the-kings-todd-king.html

King Family Refutes Allegation that Michael and Thelma King had Drugs in their Condominium --- Bag had Thelma King's Jewelry, also no contract was signed before the Murder of the Kings --- Todd King.
THURSDAY, 11 APRIL 2013 04:29    SMN NEWS TEAM 


Todd King speaking to reporters at the Court House on Wednesday afternoon.

Philipsburg:--- The brother of murder victim Michael King told reporters on Wednesday at the Court of First Instance that he wanted to put some of the rumors to rest regarding his brother and the Dabouls. Todd King said that his brother and his wife Thelma did not sign any business contract with the Dabouls (Toppers) prior to their death. He said parties were discussing the possibility of starting a business but no contract was signed at the time. Todd said he and his brother met that whole weekend at the beach and he outlined the plans he had for the company and how the operating agreement would have been written up. Todd further explained that he was helping his brother with the preparation of that agreement.

King said after his brother died he contacted the Dabouls and asked them what had changed in the agreement and they assured him that nothing had changed and only recently the King families signed a business agreement with the Dabouls. Todd King said what people are saying are pure speculations but he confirmed to SMN News that discussions were taking place between his brother and the Dabouls.

Melanie Daboul who was also present during the proceedings also said they have been doing business with Michael and Thelma King for quite some time and there was absolutely no contract signed for the rum factory prior to the death of the Kings.

Another clarification the Kings made was concerning the drugs Jeremiah Chevon Mills told the court that he took from the King's safe on September 19th, 2012 when he went to their condominium and robbed them. Todd said his brother and his wife never did drugs. "Inside that bag they stole had all Thelma's jewelry that valued about $70,000.00." Todd King said the package Mills described could not fit in the safe because the safe is very small. He further explained that if Mills had found drugs in the safe and sold it he would have shared that money with the other suspects. When SMN News asked Todd what kind of work his late brother did to earn his living prior to coming to St. Maarten, he said Michael and Thelma owned a labeling company which they sold. Todd said Michael King was on retirement and he was planning to invest his monies in a rum factory on St. Maarten.

Melanie Daboul said when she was informed by Todd that one of the suspects Jamal Jefferson Woolford worked for Toppers Restaurant she was shocked because in her mind that was not the case. Melanie said she then checked with her administrators and it turned out that Woolford did work for them in February 2012 at Toppers by the Sea. She said that she never met Woolford and did not know him because during that same period of time she had given birth to her baby and she was not working. She further explained that her husband Topper Daboul also did not know the suspect Jamal Jefferson Woolford because the young man worked at nights. She further explained that Woolford only worked 12 shifts in the course of six weeks. She said Woolford was given a three month contract but left for another job.

Michael King's mother Sally Gripkey told SMN News that what has happened to her son is like a nightmare for her, to her it is like a dream and she still thinks that she would wake up one day and her son and daughter in law would be there. When asked by SMN News how the trial on Tuesday affected her she said they knew about the case for a while now and none of it was a surprise to her. At the two day hearing, two of Michael King's brothers, his mother, and a sister of Thelma King were among those that came to St. Maarten to witness the proceedings.
 

[MuffyBee]

Thank you for all the information and updates, TexasMom.  Two lives snuffed out over greed.    

[Sister]

Thank you for all the information and updates, TexasMom.  Two lives snuffed out over greed.    

yes, thank you texasmom.
I am afraid this is not over -- you just know there will be appeals and maybe even another trial.  It grieves me that POS have more rights than victims and their families.
Prayers for Mrs. King to regain her strength.