Errol Alexander: When will forensic lab hand him results from DNA tests on recently discovered bodies?
Local police continue to say they cannot confirm the charred body discovered last month in a burned-out vehicle at Cap Estate was Oliver Gobat, despite that a memorial in his name was addressed by the nation’s prime minister two weeks ago. Meanwhile, British and Australian media have not been as secretive. Not only have various newspapers identified the charred remains, but they continue to speculate about motives for what they’ve described as a well-orchestrated hit.
On Thursday evening, at the opening of a regional symposium on crime reduction strategies and democratic policing held here, Deputy Police Commissioner Errol Alexander maintained the official silence.
“We are not going to issue any statement on a positive ID in the absence of conclusive scientific evidence,” he told this reporter. “The thing about it is this: for a correct ID, we need a good DNA match. And even though we have witnesses who have identified certain parts of the body at a post-mortem examination, a perfect match would give us good evidential value going through with the investigation.”
We also asked whether the remains had been handed over to the family.
“No, we have not handed over anything to anyone and—as far as I know—the remains should be in safe custody. [The body] is still an exhibit and we don’t know how much of it the forensic lab may ask for in terms of getting other samples.
“Even the pathologist may need to visit some other areas, so we are still waiting for information from the lab to tell us, DNA-wise, [that] we have a 95 or 98 per cent positive ID. But this will take some time.”
As for establishing how long was “some time,” Alexander said he would not be drawn into declaring an exact time frame, saying “it would depend on how fast the lab can give us that information regarding the DNA. But I believe it will done within reasonable time.”
Moreover: “Part of the problem is that the body was not in a very good condition as far as obtaining these samples.” Police had earlier reported that at the fire department’s request they had gone to the scene of a car on fire, where a body burnt beyond recognition had been discovered in the passenger seat.
Police inquiries had also resulted in a statement from associates of Oliver Gobat that he had not been seen since the fire at Cap Estate.
Thirty-eight year old Oliver Gobat operated the Cap Maison Resort and Spa and was also on the management team of The Landings at Pigeon Island. The incident brought to thirteen the number of homicides since January.
April was particularly busy for local police with the discovery of one body near Pigeon Island and another at Marisule beach. There have been no related arrests.
Regarding the body discovered at Marisule, Alexander said: “We have yet to make a positive ID. The matter is still under investigation but in this case I think we are almost there in terms of making a match. We want the public to be patient and to understand that in these matters we want conclusive scientific evidence if we are to have a good case moving forward.
“So the rumours and speculations, while we may take them into account and do our own investigations, at the end of the day rumours cannot stand in court.”
Lets face it. Our St. Lucian police force seems to have their own method of solving crimes….or not as the case might be. The need to preserve evidence seems beyond them. A few hours after the burnt out car was found, there was no tape preserving the crime scene. Possible evidence was moved. Yes they need to investigate phone calls traffic. They need interview the last set of people to see him alive. The man was playing golf three hours before his death. Was he followed ? Did he go to meet some one. Were there other foot prints around his burnt out vehicle ? Tire marks of other cars. Please don’t tell me our police are doing a good job or that they know what they are doing.
Call in the Yardies have them trace the last Digicel Number that called him, like they did with Kartel, but that phone would ring forever on Grynberg Sea Bed.
Deal with crime and freedom is government responsibility…..our leaders let us down year after year…..turning our nurses…police….teachers into second class …the deplorable conditions they endure…..yet we accept failure after failure from the same tired…faces….our honest selfless citizens of stlucia demand …deserve better……forward ever
When I see hard working honest police like mr Alexander working with limited tools and ancient laws not set up for us or now…..I say shame on us stlucia to embrace again Kenny …..shame on us……keeping the masses ignorant fighting each other while they get fat using old colonialistic political syco ….why .? All we need government for is to set up a good safe environment and commerce will take its course…..why should our hospitals …courthouses…..or police stations be second class…..our leaders are caught in a vicious cycle of failure and unless we get rid of those loosers we will be seeing more of the same……I do not nor can I blame Kenny for crime….never….but how we…
I want you Rick to do some investigations.. Our First Lady guess speaker at a forum where a T&T bank is funding T&T investors for establishing businesses in St. Lucia. This is a cause for concern since many local entities have lost business in that regard. New Supermarket coming to Bois d’Orange as Trinidad sector expands. Banks includng Scotia move HQ to T&T. Agricultural Sector of T&T prepaid by local owner of supermarket (Trinidian Conglomerate) at the expense of St. Lucian farmers still owed hundreds of thousands by the same company. Do whats Right
Can evidence of that sort only be adduced by DNA only? Is that what this guy is trying to say? What happend before DNA? What does the Criminal Code say? Rick please do it for the people at least. We cannot go on like this take words from fools that it may be used as precedence. Please refute this fool’s misguided statements. Do Whats Right
How can the blind ever find the guilty. If you investigate why somone was murdered it usually cast a light on those responsible. St. Lucia is a very poor nation, if memory serves me right, the finger printing library is housed on a long string with a needle and countless files all pierced and held together like a Christmas decoration. The science of crime investigation is very expensive and I don’t think St. Lucia has a big enough budget to afford this modern services.
The reality of the situation as it relates to the charred remains found at Cap Estate is that there will never be a positive ID from forensic science. The police, the media need to stop making people believe that forensic science is magic, it like all other sciences has its limitations. So what they should be doing is trying to find the perpetrators of this heinous crime and have them identify the victim. Lately all this forensics talk in the news makes it seem like forensic science is magic. It should be noted here that the biggest destroyers or contaminators of forensic evidence is the police themselves, through lack of training and unnecessary trampling at a crime scene.
I do understand that a formal/official identification must be made but what about the investigation. Has anyone been questioned, arrested or otherwise? Has the police asked the public for assistance? – just asking?
“Rumors cannot stand in court.” Well Mr. Incompetent police official, you can start by utilizing the tools that are already available to your investigators.
How about requesting from various cellphone companies all the cell phones numbers which ping the closest cell tower in the geographical area of the crime scene and start a process of illumination.
How about requesting from all phone companies Mr. Gobat phone records and investigate who he was in contact with prior to his death? All the other excesses you have been giving the public validates your Police force is run very by incompetent leadership.
Rumours can not stand up in courts, but will there be scientific evidence when there are so many challenges facing the lab, according to the Minister – regarding collection and preservation of evidence. The lab is well equipped but not sufficiently well staffed. This is such a sad and inexcusable situation. Maybe there’ll be more nuggets of comfort from the Minister.