Margarita murder suspect
may be jailed for 24 years
PHILIPSBURG--K.F. (29), who is accused of having shot and killed Ervin Remigio Margarita on May 11, 2006, may be sentenced to 24 years if the judge follows the prosecutor’s demand during the sitting of the Court of First Instance today, Tuesday.
The court case against K.F., who is charged with killing Margarita, a 22-year-old resident of Buckhole Estate in Belvedere, was postponed until today on October 31, 2006, because Judge Jan Harmen Bosch requested the police to ask the suspect some additional questions. He also ordered a psychiatric report on the suspect.
Prosecutor Dikran Sarian had considered the suspect guilty of murder and had asked the judge to impose a 24-year sentence plus payment of US $5,800 in damages to the victim’s mother for her son’s funeral.
Margarita was shot dead on Rice Hill near Oyster Pond Road. K.F. denied he had had anything to do with the incident. In contrast with witness’ statements, he maintained he had not been in Margarita’s company during the day of the shooting.
However, during the court hearing he admitted that he had been in a car with his brother and Margarita. They had picked Margarita up from his home in Belvedere for a drive to Oyster Pond where they were to meet some other people, he said.
It is suspected that Margarita was the victim of a so-called rip deal, a drug transaction gone wrong.
Lawyer Ellen Knoppel had said her client should be acquitted because the case against him was only based on his brother’s statement.
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