Aug. 9, 2007 — St. John resident Anselmo Boston, charged as a murder suspect in the June 19 killing of James "Jamie" Cockayne, was attempting to flee to Antigua at the time of his arrest, police say.
Charges against Boston — originally categorized by police as a "person of interest" in the case — include first-degree murder and assault and using a dangerous weapon during the commission of a crime. A sealed warrant for his arrest was executed by a V.I Superior Court last Wednesday, according to a police news release sent out late Thursday evening.
Boston is being held without bail pending an advice-of-rights hearing Friday. He was picked up around 6:30 p.m. Thursday and processed about 30 minutes later, the release said. (See "Third Man Arrested in Cockayne Murder.")
U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents, along with customs officials in the British Virgin Islands, played a "pivotal" role in the arrest, having monitored Boston's activities as he tried to leave the territory en route to Antigua, the release said.
The release does not say when Boston tried to make the trip or where he was arrested.
Local law-enforcement officials have come under intense media scrutiny over the past few weeks, making no arrests in the case until last Friday, six weeks after Cockayne’s death. Police Commissioner James H. McCall said the focus of the VIPD's investigation has been to "secure justice for Jamie Cockayne," according to the release.
VIPD and the V.I. Department of Justice have worked hand in hand on the matter, he added, pooling resources and information in an effort to "bring closure to the case."
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