Brief: Accused Gunman in St. Thomas Murder-for-Hire Case Asks Court for New Lawyer

With jury selection set to begin soon in Superior Court, the defendant in a St. Thomas murder case has asked for a new lawyer. The judge assigned to the case of People of the Virgin Islands vs. Quasheem Christian is still thinking it over, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Christian, a St. Croix utility worker, is accused of fatally shooting tow truck driver Chandler Heath along a roadway near Bolongo Bay on Jan. 29, 2023. He was arrested on St. Croix on Dec. 6 of that year. Police investigators accuse him of carrying out an execution-style killing and discussing the matter after the fact on social media.

The defendant appeared virtually at a hearing held Monday from the John Bell Adult Correctional Facility in the St. Thomas courtroom of Superior Court Judge Sigrid Tejo. It was Christian’s first pre-trial hearing since he entered a not-guilty plea at arraignment on Jan. 19. The Oct. 7 hearing was his second try for legal representation. His lawyer’s failure to appear at a prior hearing set for Aug. 26 led to a postponement. Jury selection for a criminal trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 28.