BVI News

Police can’t yet say if Peters was murdered | Concerns raised about RVIPF’s previous search efforts

Deputy Commissioner of Police Alwin James has said the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) is still probing and is unable to say whether Jamaican landscaper, Junior Peters’ was the victim of foul play.

“We are trying to establish the circumstances under which he died. We cannot say at this time,” he said in response to BVI News questions on whether the 50-year-old man’s death was being treated as a murder.

Leading up to the discovery of his body in bushes last Friday, Peters had gone missing for a week and there had been unofficial reports that a motorist may have hit him with their vehicle then stashed the body. 

But while speaking to our news centre this week, the Deputy Commissioner said he was ‘not aware’ of any reports of that nature.

We searched

Meanwhile, as police continue its investigations into Peters’ death, concerns have been raised about how the RVIPF treated the search for the landscaper at the time he went missing.

Those concerns surround whether police operated casually and superficially during the search; especially considering that the body was found in the Horse Path area where police said they conducted “several searches” with the help of “cadaver dogs”.

While maintaining that police did search the area, James clarified that the RVIPF owns ‘tracking dogs’ and not cadaver ones. 

“They are trained in drug detection and explosive detection, but they are also trained in tracking. So if we have a missing person, they can then search for that person. They would be tracking the fresh scent of a human being,” James explained. 

He continued: “The bushes were searched but what happened on Friday; a further search was organized and it included the assistance from the members of the Jamaican Association and the public, and it was during that search the body was located.”

‘We’ve learnt lessons’

Further asked if he was satisfied with the RVIPF’s efforts in the search, James said: “What I would say is there are lessons learnt that would certainly improve the way in which we deal with matters of that nature.”

“The matter is still under investigation, but we have debriefed some aspects of it so far, and there are lessons learned,” he added but declined to expound on what he meant.

No resource problem

When the public became involved in the search, police had asked participants to bring machetes and chainsaws so the Deputy Commissioner was quizzed on whether RVIPF was still struggling with a resources problem.

He told BVI News those instructions to the public did not mean the RVIPF was lacking resources.

“I wouldn’t say we have a resource problem,” he said, dismissing claims that greater resources would have contributed to the discovery of the body sooner.

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20 Comments

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  1. they cant find a hooker in a brothel says:

    Them police less less bad. It took the governor and his team to find the missing man just a few yards below where he was last seen

    Like 30
    Dislike 1
    • Waste says:

      The only thing I see in that picture is Bevis and Butthead. They solve no crime. They investigate nothing. Collect their paychecks and leave the citizens to protect themselves. Them way too busy doing c********n in the police force. That’s the only work. Then here comes the legislators granting them immunity to r**e the country.

  2. lol says:

    SALT AND PEPPER

    Like 2
    Dislike 3
  3. No nonsense says:

    Mr. James/COP, we the people KNOW that you are lacking Resources!! The officers NEED proper training in searching. If they were competent may be the young might have been alive. Like I said before, we next to Puerto Rico and earthquakes are daily. What if we have a shake that require search and rescue? We will decompose to be found?? Thank you governor for CARING?

    Like 24
    Dislike 1
    • Hmm says:

      Some of u all come on here talking nonsense you don’t need resources to look and find a man. You need a person who does his or her job properly and a working chain of command in the force to make sure they do so.

      Whenever there is crime in the BVI and those who suppose to enforce the Law does not do so properly and investigate . They saying they have learn lessons, the same thing with the looting that occur after the hurricane.

      This is not the first time someone went missing in tola what lessons to learn do what you have to do. Thats the same thing the Governor says with the plane investigation.

      The lessons learn is that they are laws that govern our society and when broken nobody must be too big to face the consequences.

      Like 10
  4. Streets says:

    The streets is saying the dude was hit by a vehicle and the driver of the vehicle push him down in the bushes instead of calling the authorities. Blunt force trauma. His family need to look more into this.

    Like 8
    Dislike 1
    • The Truth says:

      Animals living among us. Need to be eradicated.

    • Serios allegations says:

      If this is true, witnesses and people who may have information needs to come forward.

      Like 6
      Dislike 1
    • Heard the same thing says:

      They ran him down and roll him down in bushes like garbage and then took off. The thing is, if they had call the police he might have been alive. That is what I am hearing. The streets know everything, you just got to know what side off the street to go to for the T AKA INFO.

      Like 7
      Dislike 1
    • I agree says:

      Come on now, the man could not have just end up down in those dense bushes by himself. I believe what the streets is saying, he was struck by a vehicle and the driver panicked and push the dude down in the bushes. If that is what happen, that is a heartless person.

  5. Fluffy says:

    And to think, Junior was your neighbor Mr.James!the police force really needs to do better, turn those a.c. off in those vehicles and turn the windows down in the government vehicles and your officers might see And hear more of what’s going on with the community!

    Like 24
    Dislike 1
  6. Jack Sparrow says:

    They all are just a waste of time terrorizing people and getting away with it all!!!!

    Like 11
    Dislike 1
    • Tips says:

      Most of them need training in search and rescue but here are a few brave ones who really try. The Commissioner needs to go put and observe how they conduct these searches.

  7. Crazy says:

    I’m not a fan of the police but give them a chance . An autopsy has to be performed. Leave the people do there work.

    Like 5
    Dislike 7
  8. Truth says:

    Them Police are mostly to fat. They could not handle walking down them mountains without an asthma pump in hand!

    Like 15
    Dislike 1
  9. Yence says:

    Defund the police force. 30000/320=94 For every 94 persons in the territory we have one police. The ratio is to high. If the UK want this ratio then ask the Foreign and Commonwealth office to pay the salaries. The local government footing the bill for incompetence. We must demand better.

    Like 9
    Dislike 2
  10. truth says:

    We hope we get answer.

  11. Sad says:

    They need to check with garages to see if anyone brought in a Vehicle with damages lately. People need to report whether or not or ask questions if you see your neighbors vehicle parked with damages all of a sudden

  12. Check says:

    Check the cameras in the area. A lot pg house have camera.. the police,can demand to see the footage From up hill to down .He get hit and run cowards

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