A man described as the Caribbean region's pioneering serial killer has been given a lengthy jail term for the violent death of a woman, shortly after he was given a life behind bars for another pair of homicides.
Kathron “Cuchi” Fortune, forty-seven, was facing allegations of “extreme brutality” in the courtroom in the location, in the overseas department of the island, where multiple court cases were conducted in the autumn months.
On 25 September, Fortune was handed a life term with a mandatory 22-year period, for the killings of two individuals in the mid-2000s on the territory, which is split between different jurisdictions.
Midweek, he received a separate 30-year sentence, with at least two decades to be completed, for the violent death of Angélique Chauviré in that year, additionally in the island.
The ruling was welcomed by the lawyer representing the Chauviré family.
“It’s a relief, in light of the brutality that this victim experienced. The family spoke briefly to me. But I believe they welcome this recent ruling,” the lawyer commented.
A different attorney acting for the family of Hyman commented: “This case is rare and it will be remembered primarily because we are facing a defendant who is a multiple murderer.”
Fortune had earlier been found guilty of additional homicides which were perpetrated on the Netherlands territory of the territory, referred to as the location.
The person is a native of the island. In 2007, he was handed a 21-year sentence by the appellate court for the killing of Ervin Margarita, 23. But he fled during a health check in that year.
In December that year, he murdered Luis Sarante Diaz and Edwin Rosario Contreras in what was considered a botched drug deal at the Simpson Bay Resort in Sint Maarten. Their corpses were found eight months later in a lagoon some way from the resort.
The accused ran to the neighboring island territory of the location in July 2017, equipped with a gun, wearing body armour, and in possession of a large sum of money. He was quickly apprehended and returned to Sint Maarten within the month.
Shortly afterward, hurricane Irma devastated the island in that autumn and affected parts of its prison. He was transferred to a facility in the area before being transferred to a high-security prison in the Netherlands. In June 2019, the defendant was convicted for the murders.
While still in prison in the country, the defendant was prosecuted without presence by a judicial body in 2020 for the killings of the individuals and given life imprisonment. But he was able to submit an objection to the proceedings taking place in his lack of presence, which restarted the trial for a legal process at which he could be in attendance.
A prosecutor stated to the authorities that the matter had been complicated by the fact that his offenses had been perpetrated in various legal systems, which each had their own judicial frameworks. “Proceedings were resumed to ensure fairness. But it was a lengthy process. Under international agreements you need the right authorisations, translated judgments, all elements ready. That procedure took five years,” the individual said.
Throughout the trials in the region, the accused has denied guilt. During final statements he told the jury: “I know the reality will be revealed but I cannot offer the reality because I am unaware about it. I committed many offenses in my life. I’m regret them, but I cannot comprehend why I should be sentenced for a act I did not do.”
Fortune’s lawyer has recently stated that an review has been filed for both cases. He will be returned to the region later this month and his legal challenge is set to occur in Paris.
