Body Removed From Cistern Confirmed To Be Lyana Serieux

ST. CROIX — Police Commissioner Delroy Richards has told The Consortium that the body found at 2:00 p.m. today in a cistern of an abandoned building behind the Mutual Homes Housing Community, which has since been removed, was confirmed tonight to be Lyana Serieux.

Today’s development continues a heart-wrenching incident that has left two minor boys confirmed to be the sons of Ms. Serieux, dead — found on the south shore near Ha’Penny Beach. The family went missing on Friday; the V.I.P.D. was notified on Sunday, and a search immediately commenced.

On Monday night at about 7:30 p.m., the vehicle that Ms. Serieux was last seen driving along with her two boys, was found in the Upper Love area completely burned. The sons were found the following day at about 11:35 a.m. by a landscaper.

Search parties began to form on Monday night, and concerned residents were scouring the island up until Thursday afternoon in search of Ms. Serieux.

Faith also took center stage, as the tragedy has also served to unite Virgin Islanders tired of the violence. On Wednesday, St. Croix residents gathered at Fort Christianvaern to pray, and they were joined by over 30,000 more people from around the world, seeking God’s face for relief from the seemingly incessant violence.

The commissioner vowed to bring those responsible for the vicious crime to justice. “We are going to pursue the individual or individuals responsible, and we want them to know that. We are going to leave no stone unturned, and we’re going to be aggressively involved in trying to bring this to a closure.”