Victim’s business partner named as murder suspect; $2M in drugs found
Murder suspect Dee Dijion Hodge being escorted to court on Thursday, October 25.
An East End resident has been named as a murder suspect in Monday’s fatal Brady Ghut shooting of Tyrone Thomas after police recovered a gun, a quantity of ammunition, and $2 million worth of cocaine near the crime scene and the near the suspect’s home.
That individual has been identified as 27-year-old Dee Dijion Hodge, and he is charged with possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply to another, unlawful possession of explosives, and possession of an unlicensed firearm. No murder charges are laid against him.
The court heard that Hodge and the deceased man were owners of a car rental company in the territory.
On October 22, the day of the shooting, Hodge was a passenger in the vehicle along with Thomas (the deceased), who was driving, and Thomas’ girlfriend.
According to allegations outlined by Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Kim Hollis, when police came on the scene at roughly 4 am, Hodge was seen emerging from some nearby bushes covered in blood.
Lying dead inside the vehicle was Thomas, while the girlfriend laid next to him injured from gunshot wounds to her neck and head. She is currently in a serious condition at a local medical facility, the court heard.
Acting suspiciously
It is alleged that Hodge was acting suspiciously on the morning in question so police asked to search his nearby home but Hodge refused them.
Armed with a search warrant, police returned hours later and executed a search of Hodge’s residence. They allegedly found a black .40 calibre pistol with seven rounds of ammunition and the cocaine valued at roughly $2 million. The items were allegedly found in bushes in close proximity to Hodge’s home.
The drugs, specifically, were found in a black duffle bag which had fresh blood on its base. That blood is believed to be that of the deceased and his girlfriend, the court heard.
Hodge allegedly told police that the items belonged to Thomas, but he took them anyway after the shooting started.
“I was frightened, I grabbed the bag as I knew he had his thing in there. I pushed the door and fell. The bag was on the back seat. I was in the back,” the accused man allegedly said.
He also allegedly admitted to police that he was a cocaine dealer.
According to the allegations, Hodge said he kept the gun and ammunition to defend himself.
And when asked if he ever handled the firearm, Hodge said that he did in the past and may have also touched the bullets.
Hodge was subsequently arrested and charged for the offences on October 22.
“It is clear, at this stage, says the Crown, that the shooting which took place that morning was connected to the possession of the valuable cargo of cocaine,” DPP Hollis told the court on Thursday.
Bail?
The DPP subsequently objected to Hodge’s bail and outlined a number of reasons. She pointed to the nature and seriousness of the offence and the likelihood that if granted bail, Hodge may not show up for trial. He could also interfere with witnesses, or run away as he is a United States citizen and he has a girlfriend in Jamaica, the DPP argued.
On the other hand, Hodge’s attorney Patrick Thompson noted that his client is a BVI Belonger and has family ties to the territory. He said there could be strict bail conditions such as a curfew imposed on his client.
Thompson further noted that, in the past, the court has granted bail to persons who have matters of this nature.
The attorney argued that his client has no previous convictions and at no time during the DPP’s presentation of allegations did she indicate that his client was a suspect in the ongoing murder investigation.
It was then that Hollis told the court that Hodge was indeed a ‘suspect’ in relation to the fatal shooting incident.
“We are still at an early stage and we had no options but to charge the defendant with those matters that are presently before the court. He is therefore still under investigation in this (murder) matter,” the DPP said.
Magistrate Shawn Innocent denied bail early Friday morning.
He was not required to plead during his court appearance on Thursday.
Tyrone Thomas (Photo provided)
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What happened in the dark is coming to light. Keep on dancing with the devil and see how far it gets you
great police work . Bail ? with this type of crime there will be an effort on his part to leave the territory .
Thank you lord I can blog hear. The esteem —– on the yellow site making himself look good. Other candidates and the congress should see the foolishness. Political crime 101 lol.
Bulls*** … Find the real killer please.
No murder charges are laid against him.
So what happened to the Spanish connection?
Ask Hodge
Hodge is a scape goat…
Dont worry spanish connection coming soon
WOW! we got to keep our enemies close now and not friends. I pray this is not the case. This kind of thing happening to often now.
Keep this guy on remand for now. Schedule the bail hearing in a few weeks to give this criminal investigation some time to develop.
Yes! Haha….My name is DumptionOfficial … and I like to highlight these criminals flaws.but won’t say it to their face. Get them off the streets!
Anytime I catch you smoking again. I calling the police so u could end up by the same people you bashing on a regular. (Be on standby Police ????♀️) I snitching on he!
You sound petty and shallow. Also sounds like a jealous woman. Be careful what you wish for people don’t fall on your parents or children. Yet I hope not for I don’t wish bad on my worst enemy
If this was st Thomas his pic would have been taken with his head straight to the camara.
Why risk his demise. Is he a too valuable a source of info regarding the intricate web of the drug trade in our island chain community?
It’s obvious that this crime link straight to he if I was in a position like that fear for my life I would be so scared u think I would be worrying about a bag if I’m scared
He said he knew the “thing” was in the bag. He probably ment the gun so he could shoot back or make some noise with it.
When you think about it that is likely what he ment by “he had his thing in there”
By “thing” he probably ment the gun in the bag to defend himself if he got chased and not the cocaine.
Great work to the law community! Heinous calculated act of greed. None of them was hungry. None of them had want, local dudes.
They both had huge egos and mad greed! Show me Tony Montana’s face.
Where is the deportation crowd at? This was an ugly act, and god don’t like ugly. BVI have a real problem.
Would be victory if and supposing he tell all. Who from and where this white but non Sahara dust was settled.
And the source of the firearm. Past transactions and parties involved. Leads on past murders.
Would it be worth it to have him assume a new identity ,take up residence elsewhere in exchange
?
Giving him room and Board in Balsum, is
frankly, a reward and not punishment. Neither is it rehab.
He is a possible murder suspect, not being held for just drugs, what new identity y’all taking and clicking like about? Someone died!
Why risk his demise. Is he a too valuable a source of info regarding the intricate web of the drug trade in our island chain community?
THINK!!Why are they pushing this s–t thru the BVI?
The borders are not very secure.
Immigration laws are not consistently enforced. Incarceration in the BVI is an extended holiday.
In the VI,property ownership obtained with drug money is not confiscated.
No law which is appalling
Time to get to work!
Please don’t drop the cocaine charge because BVI don’t have a certification personnel for testing.
Please ask USVI to come over and test the drugs! Enough of the craziness. I bet it’s pure A+ so get on that fast. Only the most ill characters go cristal and k–l later, what the hell them women do to the men they dance for. I guess all that dancing In Their face bring out the beast and b———y in them.
Just cause you allowed to see naked women shaking them self don’t mean you run the world now.
Well he done call all kinda name to help bring down a supplier who live east end. He willlin to cooperate for leniency. The amount of name this man done call and who does go this island and that island and states to fly back, who does drive this truck and sail that boat. Lawd he sing like a bird
I want GumptionOfficial come up here
I Highly doubt that posting is from GumptionOfficial.
Well, if dis bag was recovered after at his house with fresh blood on the base, and he was discovered at the scene when police came. When did he take the bag home? After the incident, he left with it, drop it off and come back to the scene to then be discovered by police?
1 hr between shots fired and police arrival on scene is a lotta of time to do much…
You do realize the shooting happened near the suspect home.
Geez, I wish my pana cotch man had that much money
Now why ayo like man so a set of p**** behind screens calling man name wfish try Lowe the g4L man dem a guh sukout yo muma
1 sec let me get the translator
Ha ha ha…thanks for the humour!,,
I bet half of that nose Candy was steped on with baking soda, fermilderhide and horse tranquerlizer.
Pure A+ , let’s hope it’s tested certified
was the car rental company the layering front to launder money? Now it’s time for the Crown to seize and sell the vehicles for the country and all other assets of the company and trace bank accounts to other assets and accomplices.
needed to know who the shooters are ?
He definately didnt pull the trigger, but he had something to do with that murder, whats the motive?.. 2million dollars worth of coke!
With him in the backseat and shots hitting multiple people, seems unlikely. He would have got out before the shooting like the spainish girl some months ago. And not end up covered in blood.
real question is if it was not this guy, then why did the shooter not take the 2 mill themself. Maybe they didnt even know it was there in the car.
But then what shooter sees a man drop out the backseat and not give chase. Maybe one that knew the type of people and feared being shot in the dark of night by the escaped person aswell.
police should have enough evidence and information to logic it all together soon.
2m worth of coke, in the suspect house.
So we have a witness covered in DNA with motive. boys & girls I think we have a sure conviction coming. he saved his own life by staying with the dope. I would bet there was more dope there than reported & parna knows the killer so he has to talk or take the whole rap.
I think all who were in that vehicle was supposed to die. It didnt happen that way, thank God. However, the two who are alive should either talk or continue to live in fear. We talking drugs here…everything got an owner.
Do the police not have the ability to run a gunshot residue test to see if a person has fired a gun recently
Unfortunately we not that lucky, up to the times, sophistacted like the rest of the real world.
Sad case….well I guess its all fair. Because if is he the shooter, then it make sense you get caugh by the officer. He thinking tht he going to run the business by himself. Man dead man in jal business done.
2 friends. One survive and they could never be in danger. It’s his friend that got him home safely is who is the suspect. Murderer laughing. Smh
What in the Cartel h**l is going on down there? BVI sounds like there’s a Pablo down there somewhere. Every minute Big drugs Big money. Sounds like Big business going on.
Pablos*
Sad thing is they arent living ant better than then the rest. Go to the club, eat steak dinners, show off the toys, get the hoes and feel big. All with a time limit until the police or rivals show up.
Not much to talk about. Are they at peace?
Am sure u had ntn to do with it,fearful for ur life as well. Just say wat ever info u have and I hope if the lady recover enough to speak out she does the same
How he ain’t get shoot to if in was in the truck and did the truck get shoot up from outside? Old ppl all ways say money the Ruth of evil ppl killing each other for money and to be rich hmm and he ain’t no street gangster man cause he know police going cum up there and he ain’t self try move em thing from he place and hide em somewhere far in the bush….
If local mediocre investors are caught and lawfully charged with 2 miilion dollars worth of “cane,” just imagine the quadruple sums of money and gigantium amounts “cane” that is/must be moving in and out of the non local, nonpoliced, segregated communities of these Islands
Yet, not even one exposed case in those communities in over sixty years!! Some folk are truly “priviledge.”
WellSah!!!
Stop talk fack.
ok embecilic, lizard brained, hater of truth, crossbreed, incognitist,he stop talk fack. Now get to this other “fack.”
Contribute to the debate by disproving what WellSah has highlighted.
It’s like the movies bullets a fire man down u as a survivor get an escape u know the duffle bag is there with guns, money and drugs etc man grab it duck and ran for Safety all I have to say Welcome to another Episode of Tortola Power Legal or Illegal I gotta make it
I guess none of these persons are from Tortola. Because, of late and recent posts, only foreigners do all wrong.