Corruption Rules ? Help Jamie Cockayne's Family!

We have received an e-mail from members of Jamie Cockayne's family. It is an urgent plea for help. Whomever reads this should pass this along. Justice in the US Virgin Islands is a Joke. Does it even exist? How did these folks get through law school or police academies? How do people like this keep getting elected...no wait don't answer that one, as it is the universal question with no answer anywhere....We need our federal government definitively in this territory cleaning out corruption and inept bungling NOW, don't we? or should we all just wait until another resident or tourist is murdered?

It is amazing that our government sends all those soldiers to die in Iraq, yet we have such lawlessness and injustice in our own country and U.S. territories, isn't it? From states still suffering from Hurricane Katrina, to the streets of Philadelphia where murder is a daily occurrence, to America's Paradise, St. John U.S. Virgin Islands where they are bungling a murder case from start to finish, our government needs to focus inward. Our country is so beautiful, and it is so falling apart.

Jamie Cockayne's family said to pass the e-mail we are going to past in it's entirety to every media outlet and elected official we can find. Please take a minute and do your part. Don't just post a comment (although save the ones laden with profanity they are welcome), take action.

It does not matter how it happened, but this kid has been murdered. He was 21 years old. He had his whole life ahead of him. So what if he had a myspace page with rap lyrics on it and other b.s. How many other kids in this country have similar pages in equal bad taste between myspace and face book. It's called expression. Now granted, once you have a few years on these kids, you know that those pages are looked at by colleges and prospective employers, etc., but that is not on trial here. Neither is the color of Jamie's skin or where and how he grew up or if he had words in a bar.

What is on trial in the court of public opinion is the fact that a 21 year old boy was murdered. Murdered 150 feet from a police station that hosed down a crime scene and purportedly tossed evidence. Suspects in a first degree murder case--this first degree murder case are obvious flight risks, yet a judge thinks low bail and no bail is o.k.? And if that isn't enough in the alrighty hall of fame, comes the news we are about to share.

In addition, message boards all over creation, and comments posted on websites like Philly Future indicate that this case is but one of many cluster f***s in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Because of the murder case of Jamie Cockayne, we have heard of some of the greatest injustices ever, and all under the watch of the United States of America. We think our founding fathers would be appalled how we Americans treat each other today.

Bloggers everywhere, this is a plea for a call to arms. Take up the case of Jamie Cockayne. And don't just do it for him, do it for the other residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands, the tourists, and residents in this country who are crime victims. Do it for yourselves. Somewhere, somehow we all have to tell our government to get off their behinds and pay attention to our own shores, states, and territories. The United States can't be big brother to everyone else in the world when we have such problems as you see reflected in the bungling of the case surrounding the murder of Jamie Cockayne.

Here is the e-mail:

On Aug 18, 2007, at 8:40 AM, Summers, Sean E. wrote:
I tried to capture everyone's email but please forward and confirm that we are including everyone and getting the
word out.

We need to start emailing and writing political leaders and media outlets again. Unfortunately, we will probably be spending months trying to keep people focused on the Virgin Island justice system so that Jamie's murderers are convicted. In short, the VI government does not give a damn but we have to make them give a damn.

Yesterday, there was a bail hearing for Anselmo "Selmo" Boston. The prosecution requested the hearing so that they could request that there is no bail and Selmo remains in jail pending trial. You would think that this is a good thing and it was -- right up until the time that the prosecutor failed to show up for the hearing that
she requested. After about 40 minutes, the judge became so angry that she just grabbed a prosecutor that had no
clue about the case and made the prosecutor fill in for the absent prosecutor. Obviously, the request for "no bail" was denied, but fortunately, this judge had some common sense and at least set bail at $100,000. The judge showed up, the Cockaynes showed up, the defendant showed up, the defense counsel showed up, but where was
the prosecutor? If everyone else could figure this out, why couldn't the prosecution?

Ironically, the prosecution shows up for a bail hearing (i.e., Six Pack) and $75,000 bail is ordered, but
when the prosecution does not show up, $100,000 bail is ordered! What side is the prosecution on? Selmo's girlfriend attended the arraignment on Thursday. For about 40 minutes or so, she sat in the courtroom talking
and joking with a VIPD police officer in uniform. That's right, Selmo's girlfriend is a good friend of the police officer. This police officer wasn't a witness but was kind enough to take a few minutes from her day to
sit in court and support Selmo, et al. Why are our tax dollars paying a police officer to sit in a courtroom and
joke around with the defendant's girlfriend? At a minimum, this is an appearance problem. It is certainly disgusting and horrible for the Cockayne family to watch. What side is the VIPD on?

Because of our media campaign, a mother contacted us concerning another Six Pack "issue." In October 2006, Six
Pack stabbed someone in front of the Front Yard. What did the VIPD do? Nothing. That's not exactly accurate -- they took statements and listened to the young man that was the victim, but of course, that was it. Fortunately, that victim survived. The victim's mother told the VIPD that Six Pack will kill someone if they don't do something. The VIPD did nothing. Detective Hodges took the statement from the victim. Detective Hodges, in
response to CNN's arrival on St. John, is the one that said: "you should know that the police will investigate a murder anywhere in the world." He said this to explain that the VIPD was investigating Jamie's murder and we were just getting in the way with the media. As an aside, the victim walked to the police station with his
bloody arm and chest and was told to go to the clinic. No first aid was administered. No ambulance was called. They couldn't even give him a ride. The kid had to call a friend to get to the clinic.

What side is Detective Hodges on?

Jeanie and Bill have been calling the Department of Corrections to find out if the defendants have been released on bail. In other words, did they come up with their bail money? Remarkably, the victim advocate cannot find this information out. Jeanie and Bill were chased off St. John twice in fear for their safety - once under police escort. Witnesses have fled St. John in fear of their safety. The defendants are accused of murder.

Yesterday, the Department of Corrections told Bill that they cannot give him information concerning the defendants release and they hung up the telephone on Bill. Six Pack and Selmo are probably sharing a cell so they can get their story straight. It is typical for law enforcement to segregate co-defendants so that they don't "get their story straight." In addition, defendants typically tell their story to their fellow cell mate and that can be used against them later. Bill asked if the defendants were sharing a cell but, of course, that question was not answered. What side is the Department of Corrections on? One of the most frustrating aspects of this investigation is that the VIPD has not picked up the getaway car. Here is the importance of the getaway car. Jamie was brutally stabbed. It is almost guaranteed that blood transferred from Jamie to the killer and to
the car. Blood will be in the cloth material in the car. The defendants won't be able to explain that away.

Incredibly, the VIPD have known the car and license plate number on the car for weeks. The car was videoed on CNN. If you drive through Cruz Bay, you'll probably trip over the car. At one point in time, the police had the car blocked in and it never crossed their mind to pick up the car - unbelievable.

Jeanie has been asking for weeks if the VIPD has Jamie's ball cap. On August 3, 2007, in a meeting with government
officials, Jeanie was told that they would look into whether the ball cap was taken as evidence. Witnesses have told us that the cap was discarded because the VIPD was out of evidence bags. In the meeting, the following government official were present: Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General, Chief of Prosecutors, the
lead prosecutor, police chief, and the FBI. Amazingly, none of them knew whether the ball cap was collected but they did tell Jeanie that they would find out. We still don't know.

Remember Pennington from Larry King?

PENNINGTON: Well, there have been arrests made. There have been two arrests made, one suspect that's been charged with first degree murder, and another one with witness tampering. I believe that from interviews with the police commissioner and other government officials that what's been done is consistent with what our new police commissioner has said even before he was the commissioner, that they have called in from what we've been told all of the outside agencies that were available, including the FBI.

Pennington followed this interview with an online editorial explaining that Larry did not give the VIPD (i.e.,
Pennington) enough time to respond. The Source, in support of Commissioner McCall, claims that this investigation is being handled just like all others. If that statement is true, it is sad.

What can you do? Start emailing the media. Update your political leaders via email or mail concerning the latest debacles. In particular, email the Source. The Source is the one that claims this investigation is being handled just like every other one. Make the Source's inbox explode. If the Source is truly independent, it will hold the police accountable.

Here are specific questions to ask anyone that will listen:

Why didn't the prosecution show up at Selmo's bail hearing on Friday?

What are the consequences for their failure to show up?

Why did a uniformed police officer sit through the arraignment with Selmo's girlfriend?

What are the consequences for the police officer using public resources (i.e., her salary) to socialize with the
defendant's girlfriend?

Why didn't Detective Hodges/VIPD follow up when Six Pack stabbed his first victim?

Does the VIPD believe Jamie would still be alive if they actually investigated Six Pack's first stabbing?

Why can't the Department of Corrections tell the victims family when the killers are released from jail?

Why won't the VIPD pick up the getaway car and search it for evidence?

Feel free to email this directly to media or politicians. Anyone can contact me with questions or concerns. This
is a group effort and we need all of the help we can get. Bill and Jeanie are expected to return today.

Sean E. Summers,Esq. (ssummers@barley.com)
Barley Snyder LLC
100 East Market Street
York, PA 17401
717.852.4997 - Direct Dial

Directly related:
AG's office flubs detention hearing in Cockayne case
Judge sets bail at $100,000 for murder suspect
Saturday, August 18th 2007