One Year After Their Son’s Murder, Malfetti Family Praises Community

 

Jimmy Malfetti

The year began with the still-unresolved January murder of James Malfetti Jr. a New Jersey internet entrepreneur with a love for paddle boarding. Malfetti, who had made St. John his home, was found dead of knife wounds on Sunday morning, January 19, 2014, after a suspected burglary of his rental apartment in what may have been a case of mistaken identity.

“It has been a challenging year, but we have been blessed by the love and support of family and friends,” Ro Malfetti emailed St. John Tradewinds. “The outpouring of love has sustained us.”

“We thank the many friends of our son and the beautiful people of St John and St Thomas who have tried so hard to help us,” Malfetti’s mother wrote. Jim (Sr.) and I are so appreciative, it is easy to see why our son loved St John so much.”

“We have faith that someday justice will be served,” Ro Malfetti wrote.

There has been no new information on the V.I. Police Department investigation of Malfetti’s murder, which may have been bungled by police even before their late start when officers responding to the report of an attempted burglary at the neighboring house two nights earlier,

Friday, January 17, had failed to check Malfetti’s apartment.

There was never an official time of death reported for Malfetti.

Sources subsequently told St. John Tradewinds that Malfetti had only recently moved into the apartment in the south shore neighborhood which had been quietly vacated by the victim of a vicious street assault in Cruz Bay who was pressing charges against one of his assailants despite threats of retaliation. The former tenant was believed to be the intended target of the attack.

Police said Malfetti suffered stab wound to his neck. The private investigator hired by the Malfetti family would not comment on reports that their son’s throat had been cut.

The complainant in the street assault dropped the prosecution of the only one of his attackers facing charges in the street assault within days of Malfetti’s death.