A report from a concerned citizen sent police Wednesday morning to a busy East End road where they found the first homicide victim of 1999 on St. Thomas, a young man whose body was slumped over the passenger seat of a blue Chevy Sprint.
The victim was identified as Gregory De Silva, 22, of Smith Bay, a native of the British Virgin Islands. He had been shot four times, in the head, forearm and neck, according to acting Police Chief Jose Garcia.
Police found the car off the side of Route 38, or Smith Bay Road, between Sapphire Beach Resort and Marina and Red Hook. The vehicle was clearly visible to passing motorists.
Garcia declined to speculate on a possible motive for the shooting or on how long De Silva had been dead before police arrived. Nor did he comment on preliminary findings by the homicide squad.
Garcia appealed for assistance from the community to solve De Silva's homicide. He asked anyone with knowledge of the case to call police homicide investigators at 774-2196 or 774-4050, or to call 911.