Editor:
In response to the informational letter published in the St. John Tradewinds last week by Shelley Williams, I say great! I too thought there would be help and support for our family. I had heard of The Safety Zone (no longer named that) and I had their number. I called and they refused to assist us and told me we were perfectly safe, but before hanging up I received a lecture on how safe these U.S. Virgin Islands are, well blah blah blah, not exactly what a survivor is looking for after a loved one is murdered brutally in the streets of Cruz Bay.
We are in shock and need help. We need people to reach out; we are lost. I am speaking for hundreds of survivors. I personally received no assistance from any organization formed to help victims (however I do not think of myself as a victim). I remember the first time I heard someone refer to me as a victim and I thought, hey, not me — it was Jamie who was murdered. I refuse to think of myself as a victim, however, maybe my path would be easier if I did? I am a survivor of the worst kind — I am a mother and I will not rest until the guilty pay.
If the USVI government is too proud to ask for help from the federal government but all along tell us they are in constant communication with the FBI, why is it that V.I. Police Department Commissioner McCall stated at our last meeting he has no idea where Special Agent Schmidt is and hasn’t heard from him in weeks? This is the guy that people think is investigating. Wrong! We can’t even get an email from SA Schmidt. He is not worth mentioning. He has not followed up on several leads we have given him. Why should he? No one cares.
For the people of the Virgin Islands, the survivors and victims, I get it. We have no one to help us get justice. Again, please call me at 215-862-1142 or email jeancockayne@mac.com. I am trying to amass enough people so that together we can make a difference. I have spoken to so many of you and received emails and hand written letters. Shame on me if I don’t carry on.
You have been deserted by your neighbors, elected officials and the police. Is this America? Do you have rights? Although the V.I. appears to be easy on the criminal, it seems they are not respecting our rights as law-abiding citizens. Otherwise, St. John would not have 185 crimes and three solved. I don’t know if those figures are up to date but I am sure they have not improved. Furthermore, anyone who lives on St. John is clearly aware that many if not most rapes, burglaries and assaults go unreported. You may ask why. Well 185 crimes and three solved, why bother? Nothing will be done, no one arrested and if by chance someone is arrested do they go to jail and pay for their crime? Not likely.
The mantra is and forever has been, “keep it on the down low,” smile — this is Love City after all. Not so for the survivors or business people, unsuspecting tourists and residents who realize the situation is not going to improve unless changes are made.
It is not enough to simply complain, therefore I have another suggestion to add to my list. Possibly, if a caring, empathetic, highly-educated person had answered the phone the day I called the Safety Zone I may have an entirely different opinion. However, Shelley Williams answered the phone and no way was she interested in helping me. I don’t know why she was so unkind and rude, but someone in her position should never treat survivors the way I was treated.
How come Martha Stewart did time for lying and now possibly Barry Bonds? It seems, however, Selmo Boston may have lied in court under oath regarding his employer. Time will tell if it matters and who is in fact lying. Is anyone following up in this investigation?
Did the police ever search Six Pack or Selmo’s home? If so, what did they find, both being alleged drug dealers around town. Who’s got the drugs now? Who stole Jamie’s iPod? It was either the police or the tow company. We never took the iPod and iTrip out of the car, so it was there. I find it hard to believe that the murderers took the time to search Jamie’s car after they stabbed him to death. One witness stated he saw a police officer arrive on the scene and the first thing the cop did was go to Jamie’s car, ignoring my son bleeding to death. The tow company/car rental agency charged me $75 to have the rental towed to the police station — kind of insensitive, but no worries. Kind of a bummer though.
For those of you who are tired of me droning on, skip my letters. I have a right to speak as do you, Mr. Anonymous. You can sign your name to your letters. Don’t use fear of retribution from my family as an excuse to hide your identity. We have bigger fish to fry, my friend. I hope you and your family enjoy the holidays together, we naturally will not be enjoying much of anything.
Jeanie Cockayne