Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 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
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×