Seara James
The remains of Seara Samantha James, the young St. John woman whose October 2011 death at age 21 was the result of “suspected foul play,” were buried on Monday, April 7, with little attention or further information from V.I. law enforcement officials.
While the unsolved murder of a stateside man in a St. John rental apartment in January has put the island in the national spotlight, the family of Samantha Seara James was left with few answers about her 2011 death despite new questions raised by V.I. law enforcement officials.
“There was suspected foul play,” V.I. Attorney General Vincent Frazer told the media on the day James was buried at the Cruz Bay Cemetery following a belated memorial service at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Cruz Bay that had been announced on Friday, April 4.
“Foul Play”
Atty. Gen. Frazer did not return telephone calls from St. John Tradewinds for comment on what evidence indicated to authorities that James’ death resulted from foul play or a criminal act. The cause of James’ death has not been released.
The case is being handled by the Criminal Division of the office of the V.I. Attorney General.
VIPD officials were waiting for the Office of the Attorney General to release its opinion on the case before moving forward, Police Commissioner Rodney Querrard told the media on Monday, April 7, without any further information.
“No case is more important than the other, but I want closure for this family,” Querrard was quoted as saying in one media report.
While there have been unconfirmed reports of a possible arrest in the investigation, Querrard did not return telephone calls from Tradewinds for additional information on the investigation into James’ murder or what further action the VIPD would take.
James, then 21 years old, last contacted her family on October 11, 2011, two days before she was reported missing by her mother on October 13, 2011. The St. John Community Foundation conducted a candlelight vigil on November 8, 2011.
Then-VIPD St. John Deputy Chief Darren Foy said several areas of the island were searched by officers with K-9 dogs shortly after James was reported missing.
Skeletal remains later identified as James’ were discovered on August 1, 2012, in Estate Adrian. VIPD officials never released any information on the condition of the remains or the exact location where they were found.
A VIPD spokesperson referred all inquiries to the V.I. Attorney General’s office.
The young woman had been seen last in Cruz Bay, two days before she was reported missing. James reportedly left Cruz Bay at around 7 p.m. on October 11 to walk to her home in Estate Bethany just outside of Cruz Bay up the hill known as Jacob’s Ladder on Southshore Road, according to her mother.
“She did contact her boyfriend and said she was down by the Westin (past Jacob’s Ladder) and would be home in a minute,” Seara’s mother Victoria James told Tradewinds in November 2011.
Current St. John Deputy Chief Lt. Maria Jones did not return a telephone request for information on the status of any VIPD investigation into James’ death.
Anyone with information about Seara James’ death is urged to call the VIPD Leander Jurgen Command at 340-693-8880, Crime Stoppers USVI at 1-800-222-TIPS or 911.
