Virgin Islands attorney Jamal Smith was found dead at his Manuel Hill residence with apparent gunshot wounds on Tuesday afternoon, police said. The 46-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Monday, the day before Mr. Smith was found, police received a report via the 911 call centre at about 7:30 p.m. of a shooting at Manuel Reef.
Officers and an ambulance responded to the scene.
“Upon arrival, thorough searches were conducted in the area, but nothing suspicious was initially found,” police said in a statement released yesterday.
The next day, “further investigations” led officers to Mr. Smith’s residence shortly after 4 p.m., police said.
During a “thorough search” of the home, they said, they found Mr. Smith’s lifeless body.
The National Security Council convened a special meeting yesterday to receive a briefing about the killing from Police Commissioner Mark Collins, but the NSC did not provide further information about the incident.
Police are asking anyone who may have seen Mr. Smith on Monday evening to contact police via the anonymous Crime Stoppers hotline by calling 800-8477 (TIPS) locally or 1-284-800-8477 from overseas. The police Intelligence Unit can also be contacted directly at 368-9339.
Mr. Smith, a founder of the law firm Thornton Smith, had served as chairman of the Labour Arbitration Tribunal as well as serving as a board member for several statutory bodies