SAC received word again today from the family as well as one of their representatives thanking us for our efforts to see Justice for Jamie Cockayne and to tell us that Jamie's parents and others were guests last evening on Larry King Live (anyone out there have a link to the Larry King report?).

Anyway, our previous coverage includes posts like this one, this one, this one,this one and a few more, plus the cross posting at Philly Future.

We're proud of our ability to help in any small way as citizen journalists.

We're profoundly disturbed by some of the anonymous posting comments that are thicker than a hoard of locusts over at PhillyFuture. Some of the comments are incredibly ugly.

To remind everyone, we are here on this topic because some of our members know some of Jamie Cockayne's extended family. We were asked to help and we feel we have, and will continue to do so until justice is fully served and Jamie's soul can rest and his family finds peace and closure...which of course won't happen until justice is served....

And while we are sorry that some of the native Virgin Islanders are upset at our opinions or media coverage, we have to say to you all that you need to quit your whining and do something!

If you don't like the fact that due to this inconvenient truth, a henious murder and almost two months of police inactivity caused a maelstrom of state side media blitzes, then DO something.

Quite posting your endless comments at PhillyFuture and on all the various message boards and stand up and be counted as inidividuals in the Virgin Islands. Demand change and respect from your island government. Demand inquiries into how government does things. Demand your police department protect you and demand that your justice system actually work for your safety! If you all hate the corruption that some of you say surrounds you, do something! But don't blame us and others.

One of the millions of comments was about some poor young girl who was held hostage? Crikey! Why didn't you raise a fuss about it when it came to light? If all of us and the Cockayne family can contact media outlets,write on blogs,contact US Congressmen and Congresswomen and US Senators and Larry King and Anderson Cooper and Gerta Van Susteren, why the heck can't you all?

You can't say how mean spirited everyone is stateside about the Jamie Cockayne murder and the relationship to how government procedures or whatever are coming to light in the media, when all you do it seems it whine and complain.

If you want us to see a different side of where you call home, tell us about it. If you don't like what is happening on the island you call home, take action. And if you don't like us wee potential tourists demanding safety and justice, we'll all just start to travel elsewhere, won't we? And then, this will turn into a Natalee Holloway situation, won't it?

Be an advocate for positive change. And allow people their opinions if we are to be subjected to yours. However, the comments we will no longer tolerate are the blatant racist and thinly veiled racist comments from either side.

This issue we are discussing is NOT about race. It's about murder. And murder doesn't know race, creed, color, and socio economic levels- murder is an equal opportunity life destroyer.

And we also would like those who would like to slander Jamie Cockayne's name in death to knock it off. If you have proof of people's bad acts, then go to the authorities. But please refrain from slandering a dead kid.

Because that is what he was...a kid. A kid with his whole life ahead of him. Yeah kids do dumb ass things, but does that mean we should all go around murdering every 21 year old kid we see? No. What happened to Jamie Cockayne was a sheer act of savagery. How his family has been treated is intolerable in our opinion.

Jamie and his family were guests on the islands, tourists because the family had not yet purchased a property to become more integral in the St. John community and Jamie had not yet started his job. If tourists aren't safe, then people should talk about it, especially if you are a Virgin Islands native and your local ecomomy depends on tourism as a large portion of that local economy! Tourists are guests. What happpened to Jamie Cockayne and Natalee Holloway shouldn't have happened. And if the people in the Virgin Islands are outraged, get off your duffs and DO SOMETHING...you have the power to do that as citizens!

That's it. We're off the soapbox, and here are a couple quick updates:

We are hearing from the family that the bail being set is ridiculously LOW...The witness intimidation dude $10,000 unsecured. The guy charged with 1st degree murder around $75000, and the other dude around $25000.

ALL are flight risks, all seem somewhat transient, especially if they HAVE to be...If the U.S Virgin Islands are a U.S.Territory, why the interesting interpretation of U.S. law down there? What is that judge playing at?

Below are article links.

Editorial
Tourists are our guests
Thursday, August 9th 2007

"The V.I. Tourism Department is preparing for a drop in business from the adverse publicity"

'Larry King Live' is latest news show to put national focus on St. John slaying
By JOSEPH TSIDULKO
Thursday, August 9th 2007

"The 15-minute segment leading off CNN's "Larry King Live" on Wednesday night focused on the stabbing death of Jamie Cockayne on St. John, claims that the V.I Police Department has botched the investigation and questions about the safety of tourists visiting the Virgin Islands.......According to tracking by M Booth & Associates, the V.I. Tourism Department's contracted public relations firm, by Tuesday, 11 print and online news sources had run stories on the Cockayne case. Those range from suburban blogs to the Philadelphia Inquirer. In addition, 18 television stations, from local outlets in Philadelphia, Florida and Ohio to national cable news giants Fox News and CNN, have broadcast stories."

http://www.stjohntradewindsnews.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1761&Itemid=1

http://www.stjohntradewindsnews.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1760&Itemid=1