Jamaican community tense after double murder in St. Maarten

Monique Grange, Assistant News Editor
The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre

An air of gloom is said to be permeating the Jamaican community in the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Maarten, following the arrest of a Jamaican security guard in connection to the murder of an American couple on Sunday.

Reports out of St. Maarten say Meshane Kemar Johnson is now in police custody for the murder of Michael and Thelma King.

President of the Jamaica Social and Heritage Foundation, Marsha Thomas has described the arrest as a blow to the community, which she says is already battling with a stigma as a result of criminal actions carried out by Jamaicans in the past.

She said the locals are evidently not happy with the news of another Jamaican being implicated in a crime in their country.

News reports indicate that Johnson also robbed a restaurant on the same night the couple was murdered.

It is reported that he borrowed someone's car to commit the robbery and police fired a shot at the vehicle.

The owner of the vehicle is said to have called the police when he discovered the bullet hole in the car and also found items belonging to the King’s inside.

Johnson is also said to be living in St. Maarten illegally.

Reports also indicate that the police are looking for another man of Jamaican descent, who is believed to be Johnson’s accomplice in the robbery and murder.

In April last year, the government in St. Maarten enforced visa restrictions for Jamaicans and Guyanese wishing to travel to that country.

At that time, the officials said the new regulation was prompted by statistics, which indicated visitors of Jamaican and Guyanese nationalities were overstaying their entry time on the island as well as the increase in the crime

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