Steve Tyler - Murder St. Thomas - Cruise - Liz Marie Perez ChaparroYesterday a jury in the U.S. Virgin Islands convicted a 22 year old man in St. Thomas of killing a young Carnival cruise ship passenger last July. 

The jury convicted Steve Tyson (photo left) of two counts of murder related to the July 12, 2010 shootout near the popular Coki Beach tourist attraction.

14 year old Liz Marie Perez Chaparro of Puerto Rico, was struck by a bullet as she and her family rode in an open-air safari taxi after disembarking from the Carnival Victory cruise ship 

Our firm represents the Chaparro family.  We wrote about the sad incident last summer More Caribbean Crime – Carnival Passenger Killed In St. Thomas

Also killed during the incident was Shaheel Joseph, age 18, who is a local resident of St. Thomas.

St. Thomas has an astronomically high murder rate. The Coki Beach area is well known to local residents as suffering from gangs, drugs and crime.  Carnival did not warn the passengers of these facts prior to taking their cruise fares and sailing them into this dangerous port.

 

Photo credit:       virginislandsdailynews.com