Jury deliberations begin in murder-rape trial

ST. THOMAS - "Jesus," a juror exclaimed Thursday upon seeing a projected close-up of Dennis Richardson's pale, lifeless face with half-opened eyes on Mandahl Bay beach Oct. 14, 2009.

The defense rested its case Thursday and jurors commenced deliberations in the trial accusing Jensen Alexander with fatally stabbing Richardson, 51, seven times and repeatedly raping and sodomizing the deceased's female acquaintance at the undeveloped sandy strand.

Richardson bled to death, according to V.I. Medical Examiner Dr. Francisco Landron's testimony Tuesday.

Alexander, then 29, of Estate Mariendal is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree aggravated rape, two counts of first-degree assault and one count of carrying or using a dangerous weapon.

The prosecution's case weighed on eyewitness testimony by Alexander's co-defendant, Katanio "Kay Kay" Peets, then 36, of Estate Tutu and evidence from the ransacked campsite where the rape victim and Richardson had slept for two days before the struggle.

According to Assistant Attorney General Charles Willoughby, Alexander is the only suspect who could have committed the crime.

Defense attorney Judith Bourne said the web of drunken interactions and the testimonies at trial - which included statements from the rape victim, Peets and Alexander - did not match.

Bourne offered an alternative explanation: The rape victim defended herself against a furious Dennis Richardson who may have become jealous that she slept with someone she had just met. Bourne hypothesized Richardson was the rapist, not Alexander.

During the prosecution's closing argument, Assistant Attorney General Sigrid Sprotte said Richardson took his female friend to Drake's Seat the afternoon of Oct. 13, 2009.

There, they met Alexander and Richardson already was an acquaintance of Peets, Sprotte said.

"They were all up at Drake's Seat, drinking from the bottle," Sprotte said.

Richardson and the woman invited the two men to Mandahl Bay beach, where Alexander had never been.

At some point that night, a heated dominoes game at Mandahl Bay beach ensued among Alexander, Alexander's cousin, Barry Gomez, Peets and Richardson.

Sprotte said Alexander became angry during the game and grabbed the woman's crotch and pushed her against Richardson's truck.

The confrontation escalated, and Richardson smashed Alexander's car windshield.

By midnight, Alexander called the police to report the disturbance, and he and Peets left the beach.

At the time, no one was injured at the beach, Sprotte said.

According to testimony from prosecution witnesses, Alexander and Peets returned to the site the next morning to retrieve Alexander's cell phone and Alexander became enraged, attacked Richardson and raped the woman.

Peets, however, also testified that he left the scene in fear when Richardson and Alexander were exchanging blows near the campsite.

Sprotte said the sexual assault commenced after Peets left.

"He holds a knife to her throat and drags her from the tent, drops his pants, then he throws her on a beach chair," Sprotte said.

Alexander forced her to perform oral sex and when she gagged, he punched her, Sprotte said.

Sprotte said Peets returned in Alexander's car and interrupted the rape, which allowed the victim the chance to flee to the salt pond, where she swam silently to the far side, only keeping her nose above the water.

Peets had testified that he saw Richardson on the ground.

"Peets says, I believe you killed this man," Sprotte said.

During her closing argument, Bourne said Alexander called the police because her client had nothing to fear from the officers.

Additionally, Bourne discredited Peets' account, saying he had a motivation to distort the truth because he took a plea agreement.

Peets, who originally faced the same charges as Alexander, pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder accessory after the fact.

Bourne said the knife left no bloody residue on the victim's bikini bottom, which Peets testified he saw Alexander cut before raping her.

Bourne challenged the validity of Peets' testimony, based on statements he gave to police 17 months after the rape and murder.

Peets testified the woman had been flirting with Alexander Oct. 13, 2009.

Bourne said her client admitted he had consensual sex with the woman on the beach and when they returned to the campsite.

The victim testified she woke with Alexander on top of her.

Bourne said it is unlikely the woman slept through Richardson's painful goring so close to the tent.

"Can you believe he did not shout, yell or call for help?" Bourne asked.

Peets testified that he returned to the scene in the morning and honked his horn to alert Alexander, who walked from the dirt road wearing only blood-stained boxers.

Then he would have been blaring his horn directly in front of a woman's house who said she had not been woken until the victim went to her door and roused the resident's pets.

"These two stories just cannot match up," Bourne said.

Deliberations are scheduled to continue today in V.I. Superior Court.

- Contact reporter Michael Todd at 714-9104 or email mtodd@dailynews.vi.

Sign up for Text Alerts

Sign up for e-mail newsletters