Darren Bess Extradited from California to Face Murder Charges in St. Croix
ST. CROIX — The V.I. Police Department announced late Tuesday that Darren Bess was extradited to St. Croix on March 18 to face charges in the murder case of Kevin Jerome.
2024-03-20 20:24:32 - VI News Staff
Following his extradition, Bess was charged with multiple offenses including first-degree murder, first-degree assault, carrying of firearms openly or concealed in the commission of a crime of violence, unauthorized possession of ammunition, and first-degree reckless endangerment.
Unable to post bond, he was initially remanded to the John Bell Correction Facility. However, on March 19 Bess was released to a family member under an unsecured bond and is now subject to 24-hour house arrest with electronic monitoring, the VIPD said.
The charges stem from an incident reported on February 26, 2021, when authorities were alerted to shots fired and a man down on Main Street in Williams Delight at approximately 9:57 a.m. Upon arrival, officers found a black male with a gunshot wound to the head next to an older model SUV that had sustained multiple bullet holes. The victim, identified by his parent as 30-year-old Kevin Jerome, was rushed to the Juan F. Luis Hospital where he later died from his injuries.