Darren Bess in custody on St Croix. Photo: VIPD

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, unauthorised 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, 2024, 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.

Victim was shot in the head

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.

The investigation implicated Darren Bess and Ian Benjamin Jr in a conspiracy to murder Jerome, with Benjamin allegedly carrying out the killing. Ian Benjamin Jr, 22, was arrested without incident on March 1 and, after being unable to post a $1 million bail, was remanded to the John Bell Correctional Facility. Benjamin was advised of his rights on March 4, 2024, and subsequently released on an unsecured bond to the third-party custodianship of a family member.

Bess, 29, was arrested in Placer County, California, on March 6, 2024, based on a VIPD warrant for the murder of Jerome. He remained in custody in California pending his extradition to the US Virgin Islands.

The VIPD is encouraging anyone with information related to this case or any other crime to contact Crime Stoppers V.I. at 1(800)222-8477 (TIPS), online here, or the VIPD Tipline at (340)778-4950.