Magistrate Wanda Fortune on Wednesday further remanded 21-year-old Joseph James to prison in connection with the October 7, 2019 murder of his four-year-old stepson Alex Prince.
While the case was initially called before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on October 17 at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, it was transferred to the Linden Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday after it was said to have been filed at the incorrect magisterial district.
It is alleged that the accused, who is a logger, murdered the child during the course of rape at their Silver Hill, Linden-Soesdyke Highway home.
Initial investigation had revealed that the child was found naked and unconscious at approximately 12:00h on October 7 with injuries to his eye and head. According to reports, the accused claimed that he discovered the child unconscious with the injuries after returning from a nearby grocery shop.
The child was then transported to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) after being examined by nurses from a nearby health centre. He is said to have died while on the way to the hospital.
A Post-Mortem Examination performed later indicated that the four-year-old died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and had been sodomised. The accused was later arrested and charged with murder following investigations. He was remanded to prison and the case will continue on November 13.
