Suspect in slaying of U.S. couple in St. Maarten due in court

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The suspect, who was due in court Tuesday, will now appear Wednesday


• No reason was given for why the appearance was rescheduled


• The suspect "heavily resisted" arrest; he and a police officer were "wounded"


• Michael and Thelma King of South Carolina were found dead in their St. Maarten home

(CNN) -- A man arrested in connection with the stabbing death of an American couple in the Dutch Carribean nation of St. Maarten will appear before a judge Wednesday, after his scheduled court date was pushed back a day. The proceedings are not expected to be open to the public.

The bodies of Michael and Thelma King of South Carolina were released to family members Tuesday after autopsies were performed, Solicitor General Taco Stein said.

The Kings were found dead Friday at their oceanfront residence in Cupecoy, in what Stein described as "an ugly scene."

The suspect was arrested Sunday, and authorities have been working to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to keep him in custody. No charges have been filed against anyone so far in the case, but Stein, who was once solicitor general in Aruba, said "there are strong indications he is involved in the crime."

Identifying him only by his initials M.K.J., the St. Maarten Public Prosecutor's office described the suspect as a 28-year-old, Jamaican-born man.

The prosecutor's office said the suspect "heavily resisted his arrest," engaging in a confrontation that ended with both him and a police officer "wounded." After being treated at an area hospital, the man was taken to a police station.

"He has been cooperative to a certain extent, but was reluctant to answer critical questions," the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

The suspect's attorney, Brenda Brooks, said she met with her client Monday at a police station in St. Maarten's capital Philipsburg, where he is being held. He had signs of a "beating," according to Brooks.

St. Maarten is a self-governing country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, whose economy is based on the tourism industry. More than 1 million tourists visit the island each year.

The killings occurred in what is "generally considered a safe area" that is popular with tourists, according to the solicitor general.

"This is something that does not happen every day," he said.

The suspect and the slain couple didn't appear to know each other, said Stein, noting they "were not moving in the same circles."

Topper Daboul, a restaurant owner in the area, said he was a friend and business partner of the Kings.

"They were beautiful people," he said, adding he is "still in shock." "They were kind to everybody."

Zane Jackson offered a similar story and sentiment in an interview with CNN affiliate WIS.

Describing himself as a friend and business partner of the Kings, who helped him open a sports bar in Columbia, South Carolina, Jackson said, "They'd have given anything to anybody."

"It just seems very senseless," he said. "They were good people."

Source & Image : CNN World