The alleged killer of American tourist Jessica Colker wasremanded in custody today after being charged with her murder. David Benjaminmade a brief appearance at Grenville Magistrate's Court where he was chargedwith non-capital murder.
The 26-year-old did not speak during the hearing. He was thenremanded in custody to St George's prison. Benjamin's father was in court butrefused to comment as he left.
He is suspected of killing Colker who died from extensiveskull fracture and asphyxia, as she walked along a deserted beach with herhusband on the first day of her holiday.
Benjamin attempted to hide his face as he was led inhandcuffs to a waiting car from Grenville Police Station. The alleged murderer,who wore a green and white checked shirt and jeans, held up his charging sheetto his face.
Colker, an anesthesiologist from Atlanta Georgia, is said tohave been raped before being murdered but that was not on the charge sheet.
Grenada has the death penalty but non-capital murder meansthat Benjamin will not face the ultimate sanction if found guilty.
Her distraught husband Brian Meloti spent Tuesday withofficials at the US consulate in Grenada's capital of St George. He ispreparing to fly back to their home in Atlanta with his wife's body after itwas released for burial by a medical examiner on the island.
Benjamin’s father had expressed fury yesterday whenapproached by a Daily Mail Online reporter at the bar shack he runs, and wherehis son was living before the attack.
Benjamin Snr at first refused to acknowledge his son was inpolice custody. He then shouted out aggressively: 'I have got nothing to say toyou – talk to the police. 'I don't want to say anything. The police are theonly ones who can help you now. I can't say anything.'
Neighbors said his son David had been living with his fathersince being released from prison in December having been jailed for rapinga14-year-old girl.
Sentenced to 15 years he is thought to have been releasedearly after serving five years.
The Benjamin family home is a ten-minute walk from theLe-Cheasere beach in the parish of St David where the attack took place onSunday afternoon.
Colker and her 62-year-old husband, a doctor, were on theirfirst full day of their vacation when they were attacked. The couple had walkedalong a trail from the La Sagesse hotel to a deserted crescent shaped beachthat can only be reached by following a path through a dense mangrove.
It would have taken the couple at least 15 minutes to reachthe secluded spot where waves from the Caribbean crash onto the beach. Policesaid Dr Meloti was not injured so he ran half-mile back to the hotel to raisethe alarm.
The murdered tourist and her husband
The suspect's father
Posted by tboixy
Reviewed by Tboixy
on
January 29, 2016
Rating:
No comments: