V.I.P.D. Investigators In Florida Arrest Man Accused Of 2016 Castle Coakley Murder

ST. CROIX — A man the Virgin Islands Police Department says is responsible for the murder of a Castle Coakley man in March of 2016, was detained by V.I.P.D. investigators in Florida, and brought back to the territory on Wednesday to face murder charges, according to Glen Dratte, the force’s public information officer.

The suspect, 28-year-old Isaiah D. Rodgers (in handcuffs above), is facing first-degree murder charges, according to Mr. Dratte. According to police, Mr. Rodgers went to the victim’s house, called him outside and fatally shot him. The incident took place in Castle Coakley in the vicinity of Thomas Bakery.

Mr. Dratte said V.I.P.D. investigators were able to locate Mr. Rodgers in Sanford, Florida, secured a warrant; made contact with the Sanford Police Department, and detained Mr. Rodgers. During an interview last October with The Consortium, where the reduction in criminal activity was discussed, Police Commissioner Delroy Richards said police were pursuing suspects in multiple states on the U.S. mainland, with three teams made up of six detectives leading the charge.

Speaking on the myriad of tactics the force was using to fight crime, Mr. Richards added, “It’s a lot of different things.”

The 2016 Castle Coakley incident

On Friday, March 11 2016, A man was shot multiple times in Castle Coakley and later succumbed to his wounds at the Juan F. Luis Hospital, according to Mr. Richards.

Mr. Richards said V.I.P.D. officers were notified by the 911 emergency call center of gunshots being fired just after 8:00 p.m. A subsequent call revealed that a man had been injured by gunfire in the same area, located just past Thomas Bakery, heading south.

Upon arrival to the scene, officers met a black male, identified by police as 36-year-old Darien Griffin, lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds about his body. A 9mm weapon was also recovered on the scene, but Mr. Richards said investigators had not yet determined who the weapon belonged to. An ambulance was summoned to the location and immediately transported Mr. Griffin to the hospital, where he died moments after arrival.

Mr. Griffin, who was also a resident of Castle Coakley, was incarcerated in 2012 and had just been released from prison, according to Mr. Richards.