June 2, 2008 — Murder charges have been re-filed against Ian P. Tracy, 27, who was arrested around 1:43 p.m. Monday at Cyril E. King Airport for the December 2000 shooting death of Adassa Rolle.
Tracy is presently being held on $100,000 bail pending an advice-of-rights hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning. He has been charged with second-degree murder, first-degree assault, unauthorized use of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime and unauthorized possession of a firearm.
Prosecutors moved to dismiss Tracy's case without prejudice — meaning the charges could be re-filed at a later date — in late 2001, after preliminary DNA results indicated there was another man on the scene when Rolle, Tracy's girlfriend at the time, was murdered. (See "DNA Results Support Tracy's Account of the Killing.")
However, a recent review of the evidence and facts surrounding the case has prompted the Department of Justice to re-file the charges against Tracy, according to a news release issued Monday afternoon. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued by V.I. Superior Court Judge Leon Kendall.
Tracy's account of the "facts and circumstances" surrounding Rolle's death is contradicted by the "objective physical evidence" in the case, according to DOJ spokeswoman Sara Lezama.
Prosecutors are not going to reveal "the quality of our evidence at this time," but do have enough to move forward on the charges, Attorney General Vincent Frazer added when contacted Monday evening.
The case is being prosecuted jointly by Assistant Attorney General Brenda Scales and U.S. Attorney Anthony Jenkins.
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