74.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesARRESTS MADE IN 1997 NORTH SHORE MURDER

ARRESTS MADE IN 1997 NORTH SHORE MURDER

Police on St. Croix announced Wednesday the arrests of three men for the 1997 murder of a woman in her north shore home.
Arrested for the shooting death of Janet Morgan, 49, were Bryan Felix, Remy Augustin and Lesroy Bright. According to St. Croix Deputy Police Chief Novelle Francis, Morgan was shot in the chest as the trio were burglarizing her Estate Belvedere residence just before 1 a.m. on Feb. 24, 1997.
Morgan’s common-law husband, a local veterinarian, Dr. Paul Hess, was shot in the back of the leg during the incident.
The murder culminated a string of crimes committed by the men in February 1997, police said, for which they were also charged Wednesday. Police accused the trio of the Feb. 12, 1997 armed robbery of the Off the Wall bar, not far from Morgan’s home; the armed robbery of Chocolate Barbecue in Estate St. John on Feb. 18, 1997; and the armed robbery of Saibaba Gift Shop in Christiansted on Feb. 21, 1997.
In addition to the three men, Michael King of Walter I.M. Hodge Pavilion was charged in the robbery of Chocolate Barbecue.
The four men were arrested in "Operation Takedown," a joint effort between the VIPD, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the VI Housing Police, Francis said.
The operation also resulted in the arrest of Clemento Monsanto of Walter I.M. Hodge Pavilion. Monsanto allegedly robbed the Catherine’s Rest Supermarket on April 22, 2000.
Also arrested Wednesday was Kahleem Truell, on a warrant issued by Territorial Court Judge Patricia Steele for contempt of court.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.