Failure to empanel a jury has delayed the anticipated start of a criminal trial for two men accused of kidnapping and assault. A top official at the Justice Department said another attempt will be made before the end of 2025.
Had enough jurors and alternates been chosen from the pool of candidates who showed up Monday in Superior Court, the trial for defendants Troy Harrigan and Desie C. Henry Jr. could have begun the following day. But several candidates were excused for various reasons, said Attorney General Gordon Rhea.
Rhea also expressed confidence that Harrigan and Henry will face justice. “The matter will be reset for trial using the next jury panel, likely at the end of the year, and the People’s trial team will (again) be ready to prosecute the case at that time,” he said.
Aside from those excused for personal or business reasons, a number of jurors told the court they knew either one of the accused or knew the victim, and did not feel they could deliberate fairly or impartially.
The two defendants are accused of luring the brother of Harrigan’s female companion to an undisclosed location on St. Thomas in September 2020. Charges appearing in a Third Amended Information include kidnapping to exact money, assault, illegal weapons possession, and conspiracy.
Investigators said the victim was held in chains, beaten and abused for several hours in an apparent attempt to extort money. Charges against a third defendant — a relative of the victim — were dismissed without prejudice by prosecutors on July 21.
If found guilty on the kidnapping to exact money charge, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison under V.I. Code Title 14, Chapter 53, Sec. 1052.
