A long-time visitor to the BVI at her
parent's Tortola villa, Lois Livingston McMillen, a Connecticut artist, was found dead
near Soper's Hole on erosion-control rocks, her body battered severely on the head and
face, after death by drowning. The four Americans arrested were the son of a neighboring
villa owner and his house guests. See A Safe Haven Turns Deadly by John Springer in The
Hartford Courant (photo: ctnow.com).
Three of the four Americans, Michael
Spicer, Evan George and Alexander Benedetto, were freed on a directed verdict. The fourth,
William Labrador, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Despite the
lack of forensic evidence tying any defendant directly to the scene, the jury returned a
verdict based on circumstantial evidence, largely the testimony by convicted felon,
Jeffrey Plante, that Labrador confessed to the murder while in prison.
Labrador has appealed.
American Appeals Conviction
Appeal: Labrador
Conviction Upheld, Benedetto To Be Retried, Spicer Freed (More-Assoc.
Press)
Murder
Appeal to
Be Heard in October, Judge Says
Labrador Files
Appeal,
Says Judge, Prosecutor Unfair;
LI
Man Appeals Murder Conviction
Labrador
Greeted in Prison by
Crying, Shouting;
Guilty,
the Day After
American Convicted of
Murder
Labrador
Sentenced To Life
American
Convicted of Murder
William
Labrador Found Guilty;
Sentenced to Life in Prison;
Jury Decides:
Labrador Versus Plante
Outcome
Yields Differing Verdicts
Which
Man Will the Jury Believe?
Reporter's
Notebook: Blue Suits,
Conch Fritters, Little Secrets;
Lawyers Wrap
Case: Fate Rests With Jury
Closing
Arguments Made
Defense
Rests
As Defense
Rests, Star Witness Called a Liar
Prison Informant,
Ex-wife Together Again
New
Tortola Twist In Slay Trials
Prosecutors
Try to Jail Freed Defendants, Without Success, Who Post
Bail, Go to U.S
Three Defendants Freed
Three
American Men Acquitted,
Out on Bail on Lesser Charges;
Three Walk
Free After More Than Year Behind Bars, Labrador to Face Jury
Ruling Issuing
the Directed Verdict
Defense Asks Case
Dismissal
McMillen
Murder Trial Winds Down
Judge to Rule
Thursday on
Whether Case Will Continue;
U.S. Men Face
Island Justice, Island Fear
Defense
Opposes Alternative Charges
Will the Case
Go On?
Prosecutors:
Evidence Enough to Convict
Prosecutor
Wants Jury to
Consider Lesser Charges;
Murder
Case Will Not End in Mistrial
Judge to Consider
Mistrial re
Jurors Running Errand
Defense Says
Prosecutors
Failed to Prove Case;
Defense Asks Judge to
Throw Out Case
Defense
Attorneys Ask for Case to be Thrown Out
Prosecution Rests Case
Prosecution
Rests
Jurors
Visit the Scenes of
Murder Victim's Last Days;
Jury Field
Trip Prolongs Prosecution Case
Prosecution
Case Winding to Close
Police
Say Suspect Benedetto had
Relationship with Victim, Chose to End It;
Sand
Testimony Not Much to Stand On
"Confession"
Attacked
Defense
Denies Cellmate's Testimony
;
Inmate
Says Two Former Cellmates
Had Affair with Slain Artist
Island
Murder Mystery
Laughter, Evasions Mark
Star Witness's Testimony;
Key witness is
part Prince Charming, part frog
Inmate
Testifies about
Conversations with Murder Suspect,
Star Witness, a Convicted
Swindler,
Testifies for Prosecution
Forensic Evidence
Presented
McMillen Trial
Shows Up
Inefficiencies at HM Prison;
Expert:
No DNA Evidence
Bolsters Defendants' Case;
American
Artist Tested Negative for Drug Use
Defense Questions Forensic Expert;
Crucial Prosecution Witness
Won't
Take the Stand;
Expert
Rules Out Suicide in Death
Interview
with Lois McMillen's Parents
Forensic Detective
Hardley's Deposition
Trial Opens
Testimony Points To Blood On American's Shoe
Police Probe Questioned by
Defense
Autopsy Deposition of Chief Medical Examiner
Reporter's
Notebook: Justice on a Small Island-- With Links to Defendant's Pretrial
Depositions;
McMillen Murder Trial
Gets Underway in Earnest
Defendant
had Affair with Victim, Jury Learns
Victim's Mother Takes
the Stand
Key Piece of Evidence Is Gone;
Chief Inspector Provides
Little Ammo for Prosecution;
Evidence Circumstantial,
Prosecution Admits as Tortola Trial Opens
Trial To Begin
April 2
Trial Begins in
Artists Slaying
Stormy Love Affair
Clouds Slay Case
Families Prepare to
Head to Court Monday
Island Murder
Mystery
Trial
Begins (AP)
New "Low
Copy" DNA Examined
Judge: Trial Starts
April 2, Ready or Not
McMillen
Murder Trial Set for April 2nd
DNA
Tests Delayed
Star
Witness in Trial Arrested in Road Town
Could Case Hinge on
Convicted Swindler?
Endowment Honors Life of Murdered Woman
MurderMystery
in Island Paradise
Former
Portland Street Kid Keeps Spirit in Jail
Trial Delayed Until
March
Judge
Grants Trial Delay until March so that
DNA Evidence can be Better Analyzed;
Long Wait Not Unusual in BVI Murder Trials
"Low Copy" DNA Testing Time At Issue
All Four Suspects
Indicted for Murder
Trial to Start
November 1;
Labrador Faces 2nd Charge
Scotland
Yard Arrives
Pleas Are
Not Guilty
Preliminary Hearing
Results
Long
Island Man To Be
Tried For Murder
All
Four to Stand Trial;
'Deadly Vacation'
'Nightmare'
More
Island Sun
Americans
to Stand Trial in Tortola Slaying
Four US Male Suspects
Arrested;
Virginia Suspect Had
Alleged Bloodstained Clothes
Paradise Lost
Three-week
vacation becomes six-month horror
Murder case baffles four defendants
Island Murder
Mystery
Suspect's
Vigil for Justice
Young
Oregon "Homeless" Suspect Profiled
Artist's Death
Shocks Idyllic Island
American
Beauty Slain in Tortola
Trouble in Paradise
Murder
in Exotic Isle
Violence Against
Tourists
Still Extremely Rare in BVI
Sexual
Molestation Incidents more than doubled
Police
& Women's Desk Stress Domestic Violence
Virgin
Gorda Wife Beats Husband With 2x4
Search
for Missing Man continues
Violence
Against Women Issue Rallys Community
Police
Report Progress In Busting Crime Wave
Brutal
murder of BVIslander investigated
Tough
Measures To Counter Crime Spiral
Chief Minister
Asks Citizens To Support Police
Violence
Against Women Issue Rallys Community
Police
Report Progress In Busting Crime Wave
Brutal
murder of BVIslander investigated
Tough
Measures To Counter Crime Spiral
Chief Minister
Asks Citizens To Support Police |