Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Martin Faces Jury For 2018 Murder Of Jerry Castro

Martin Faces Jury For 2018 Murder Of Jerry Castro

A former employee of the National Bank of the Virgin Islands, Sean Martin, is currently facing a nine-member jury and Justice Richard Floyd in relation to the 2018 murder of Jerry Castro in Purcell Estate, in the vicinity of One Mart.

The trial commenced at the High Court, now located temporarily at the Sakal Building on Tuesday, May 19 2021.

Director of the Public Prosecution Mrs. Tiffany Scatliffe-Esprit is the lead prosecutor on the case, with Crown Counsel Kristian Johnson rendering his assistance.

Senior Attorney Mrs. Valerie Gordon is representing Martin, who is currently on remand at Her Majesty’s Prison in Balsam Ghut.

Testimonies


On day one of the trial, Head of the Crime Scene Unit Detective Sgt. Michelle Etienne, Assistant Administrator at the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force Jamal Osborne and Detective Constable Kelleon London, testified.

Etienne said on August 10, 2018, he visited the scene at 8.35 pm, 20 minutes after getting information on the fatal shooting. He told the court that he saw the body of a black male on the pavement dressed in black pants, a white shirt and red underwear, lying on his stomach with what appeared to be blood protruding from a single bullet wound from the back of his head.

He said a doctor later came to the scene and pronounced Castro dead; he was later transported to the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital.

He informed that he took 113 photos of the scene and collected the sole spent shell casing of a 9 mm firearm.

The photos he captured were later placed on DVD’s, and the casings and swabs were delivered to the officer responsible for crime scene evidence. He later presented some of the photos and the sole casing to the court.

Osborne took the stand next. He told the court that his role was to assist in extracting CCTV footage from a private residence in Johnson’s Ghut, facing the Sunrise Bakery.

He however only searched for the dates that he was given and the timeframe, but he did not examine the said footage.

Detective Constable London was the third witness for the day, and he told the court that he was tasked to get footage from Delta Petroleum and the National Bank, making a record of the defendant’s movements.

“I was able to identify the defendant on the CCTV camera because I was familiar with him before,” London said, adding that he knew him from the bank where they would interact on banking-related matters. He would also spot him on the street from time to time, he said.

During the first appearance of the matter in 2018, prosecutors said eyewitness reports, CCTV footage placing him near to the crime scene, as well as his family discrediting his alibi were some of the dots connecting Martin to the crime.
The trial continues.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×