Release of murder suspect
sparks huge demonstration
~ Road blocked for more than two hours ~
MARIGOT--The release of Nejumbia Fleming murder suspect R.O.H.K. by Dutch-side authorities sparked a major demonstration in Lowtown, St. James, last night, with the victim’s family members blocking the road and causing a massive tailback of traffic back to Cole Bay.
A Ford Explorer was used to block the road preventing access to Marigot centre as scores of people gathered to sympathise with the distraught mother Nancy Fleming and other family members who camped out in the middle of the road.
K. was released from detention on the Dutch side Monday night, reportedly because insufficient evidence had been presented by French authorities to detain him any longer. The family heard the news by word of mouth.
The gruesome murder of Nejumbia (21) and her baby daughter Roneljia on October 30 shocked the community. A female suspect in the murder is currently being held in Guadeloupe.
Gendarmes were dispatched quickly to the scene, but the crowd remained in control and it became clear from the emotional outpourings of angry family members that the roadblock would not be moved without explanations, so Prosecutor Jacques Louvier was summoned to the scene.
Louvier told Fleming that K. had been released because he had produced an alibi to prove where he was on the night of the murder, in addition to many other testimonies that indicated he had been somewhere else playing music.
“We have verified the alibi and it is the truth,” Louvier said.
Louvier said not he, but the Judge of Instruction in Guadeloupe was in charge of the case.
However, Nancy Fleming insisted that K. was guilty. She charged that, among other things, he had a key to the apartment and had lived there with Nejumbia. “I want to know to whom did (K.) give my keys to get in? He was in my yard all night. He was in my house, I swear to God. His clothes were there burnt in the house,” she cried.
She implored him to come and explain to her what had happened that night.
Louvier promised to give all the information and facts of the case to Fleming this morning and to arrange for her to speak to the judge.
He explained that the Dutch side had refused to do a DNA test because of lack of evidence, but in the French system evidence was not needed to do DNA testing.
“If we had caught him here we could have done a DNA test which could have changed the course of the investigation,” said Louvier.
With the situation calming down, Nancy Fleming accepted Louvier’s propositions but made it very clear that if she did not receive satisfaction from the meetings today, the blockade, or worse, would continue. Other family members were more defiant, demanding that the situation to be resolved last night.
“Forget this French-side Dutch-side b***s***. We are one island. Go and get him (K.),” screamed Nejumbia’s sister.
Aline Choisy who organised the protest march, said Fleming’s lawyer was on his way from Martinique to go over the case with the prosecutor.
“We are told that the evidence indicates this young man was not involved, but we have evidence that he was in the house,” said Choisy. “Clearly someone opened the door to let the murderer in. There were two sets of keys, one that the boy had and one that the mother had. You can imagine how upset the family is. Her daughter even saw K. on the Dutch side walking free.”
Choisy questioned how strong K.’s alibi was.
She continued: “He is very good at manipulating people’s minds, because I know him. We will do what we have to do to get him over to the French side. If he is so innocent then why does he not come over with his lawyer to be heard by the Gendarmes?”
