Apparent St. John Homicide Victim Is Identified as James Malfetti, 41,

 

A St. John man found dead in his south shore  apartment on Sunday, January 19, may have been killed after the house in which the apartment was located had been robbed on Friday, January 17, sources have told Tradewinds.

V.I. Police Department officials have identified the victim as James Malfetti, 41, who had lived on St. John for several years. On January 19 police issued a preliminary press release classifying Malfetti’s death as suspicious.

Malfetti was found unresponsive inside his apartment by the property manager and had suffered “puncture wounds on his neck,” according to a Tuesday morning VIPD press release. Tradewinds sources said the man’s throat had been cut and he appeared to have been dead for several days when his body was discovered.

There was no police report of a Friday robbery of the main residence in a neighborhood of vacation homes on the record at the VIPD Leander Jurgen Command on St. John.

No one checked on Malfetti’s apartment until Sunday morning, one source told Tradewinds. The perpetrator or perpetrators also may have taken Malfetti’s vehicle.

“No one checked on him because his car wasn’t there,” the source said.

Another Tradewinds source said the packing box for a wall-mount television set was found in the apartment but the television was missing.

911 Emergency Dispatch notified police of the case at 9:55 a.m. on Sunday, January 19.

St. John Deputy Police Chief Maria Jones confirmed Sunday afternoon that police were investigating a suspicious death that occurred at an apartment on Boatman Point Road.

This case is being investigated by the Major Crime Bureau and Intelligence Agents. Forensic technicians collected and are processing evidence.

Malfetti had lived and worked on St. John for several years as a computer consultant, according to friends. His parents were reported to have arrived on St. John on Tuesday from their home in Rhode Island to identify the body of their son.

The investigators are urging anyone who can assist them in determining the circumstances surrounding this death to call them at 714-9834, 715-5522, 911 or you can call Crimes Stoppers USVI at 1-800-222-TIPS.