James Cockayne: Mother of man Kamal Thomas killed in 2007 calls cops 'inept' after Jamie Cail death
ST JOHN, US VIRGIN ISLANDS: Slain Jamie Cail's boyfriend Kamal Thomas was previously involved in a 2007 crime, in which he reportedly killed James Cockayne, 21, on St John Island. Cockayne's mother Jean Cockayne has now claimed that she was forced to hire her own private detectives to get justice for her son as the police officers were "inept."
Meanwhile, investigators in Cail's death are now “anxiously awaiting” the autopsy and toxicology results. It's “crucial” to be absolutely accurate, Glen Dratte, director of communications for the agency, told CNN. There are “a lot of moving parts” right now, he said. The cause of her death has not been released yet.
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What were the charges against Kamal Thomas?
In the 2007 murder, during his first trial, Thomas was convicted of two counts of third-degree assault and associated weapons charges. However, in 2010 during the final trial, he was convicted of third-degree assault, simple assault, weapons charges, and threatening a witness. Thomas was sentenced to ten years in jail, with two years suspended along with a fine of $11,750, as per Daily Mail.
'Nothing will happen if people don't come forward'
Jean claims that Cail's case can be solved only if people come forward with information. Thomas, 34, had already spent ten years in jail for his part in the death of Cockayne. The grieving mother added, "We advertised for a $10,000 reward, so people could help us. Witnesses who bravely gave evidence in his trial had to then move off the island. Even after they were found guilty it wasn't over. Nothing will happen if people don't come forward and talk. People are staying quiet because they are afraid of the repercussions. It is a very small island and they don't want their names to be mentioned."
Jean continued, "On the Virgin Islands, you can be convicted like these killers do, and be handed a 15 year sentence but after one or two years in prison they come up for parole which is every six months. Every six months, me and my family were dragged down to the islands to attend a parole hearing, it's ridiculous. How can you kill someone and have a parole hearing every six months after only a few years? It is very much cowboy country, it's a horrible situation. I feel terrible for her family."
Jean also added, "The police aren't going to do anything, everyone knows everyone on the island or they are related, so they cover for each other. No one wants to lose their tourist dollars. Our case was very very complicated, and the VIPD are just as inept now as they were then. People who go to the island just think it won't happen to then, but it can."
She also stated, "Apparently she was an extraordinary young woman but she made some bad choices with men. But this guy is just bad to the bone. He is an evil person. It's a very dangerous place to go and live on the islands. I feel horrible for her family them because I know what they're going through."