Attorney General Iver A. Stridiron said Wednesday that the capture and return of murder suspect Juan Medina to the territory should serve notice to all who commit crimes in the Virgin Islands and attempt to flee.
Stiridiron said agents of the VI Police Department Homicide Task Force and the V.I. Justice Department returned Medina to the territory on Tuesday night. He will face first-degree murder charges in connection with the May 1999 stabbing and hammering death of Juan Pierre near the Mussen's supermarket at Rothschild Francis "Market" Square.
Stridiron said Medina fled the territory after Pierre's death. "It was actually a VIPD investigator who obtained the information about his whereabouts. It took about a year to track him down."
The agents working with officials in Puerto Rico deemed Medina as "extraditable" and moved to have him returned to the territory. "What you have is a case where Medina thought he could commit a heinous crime here and flee the jurisdiction," Stridiron said. "We are committed to continuing our efforts to identify and return wanted criminals to the territory to face justice," Stridiron said noting that Medina was scheduled to appear before a Territorial Court Judge on Wednesday for an initial appearance.
Pierre died after he was assaulted with a hammer and stabbed repeatedly on May 29, 1999. He and the suspect were involved in an argument which escalated and led to the knife attack. Detail on bail information was not immediately available on Wednesday.