The "Murder in Paradise" Story

Victims Michael and Thelma King

It was an ordinary day.  Following the trial of the three men who were accused of slaughtering US citizens Michael and Thelma King on the island of Sint Maarten.  The Miami Herald island edition has been following the trial and it looks as though the three defendants will all serve jail time for their crimes.  One of the defendants committed both of the murders and he is facing life in prison while the other two will face time as accessories or accomplices.  The South Carolina couple, who own real estate on the island, were found dead September 21, 2012 in their Ocean Club Resort apartment  home in Sint Maarten which is on the Dutch side of the Caribbean island.  The three defendants, 29 year old MKJ from Guyana, 18 year old JCM from Sint Maarten and 21 year old JJW from Guyana allegedly committed two robberies that day.  First they robbed Happy Star Chinese Restaurant at 7:50 pm, then the King's apartment at 11:00 pm.  At the first robbery the restaurant owner was forced to give them money and as they were leaving the police fired several shots at their getaway car.  One struck the trunk.  The defendants then changed the license plates and drove to the Cupecoy area of the island.  They walked along the beach toward the Ocean Club Resort and found lights on and the hurricane shutters up at the Kings apartment.  Michael King had fallen asleep watching TV while his wife was asleep in the upstairs bedroom.  MKJ placed a knife to the throat of Michael after waking him with a tap to the head with a BB gun they had stolen earlier.  They demanded money and he told them it was in the safe in the bedroom.  They JCM and JJW forced Thelma to open the safe then led her downstairs where her husband was with MKJ.  When Michael saw they were tying her to a chair he made a sudden move and got cut.  A few more cuts were administered and Michael was dead.  While his wife was tied to the chair, MKJ killed her with the same knife on his way out of the apartment.  In early October the police had arrested three suspects, the same three who are now the defendants.  All three were accused and finally one started make statements about his involvement.  MKJ confessed to everything and confirmed that the other helped him.  On March 8th the three were taken to the crime scene for a re-enactment of the crime.  Since that time MKJ has told the police that he can't remember anything happening.  MKJ is accused of the murders with JCM and JJW being accessories.  They hopefully will get more than 20 years while the murderer should get life.  The Prosecutor's Office used a strange, but very beneficial strategy during the trial.  They presented the case in English rather that Dutch.  They did that for the news reporters from the US as well as friends and family of the victims.  Judge Tamara Tyghuis made every attempt to make sure the relatives of the deceased understood the proceedings.  Hopefully by the time Carol and I land on the island the three will be convicted and placed behind bars.  I know murders like this take place all the time in the USA, but because the victims were US citizens on a foreign island, the publicity and court proceedings were thoroughly scrutinized. Justice must prevail!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

PS - After recently arriving on the island for vacation, Carol and I traveled from the Dutch side of the island (Sint Maarten) to the French side of the island (St. Martin).  Or journey took all of 20 minutes, but at times it can seem as if the two sides are light years apart.  We asked our realtor, who was showing us to our villa, what she knew of the trial in Philipsburg and she had no idea what had happened or when it had happened.  Evidently it takes more than a year for news to travel less than half an hour in the Caribbean.  Known as "island time" I guess.