Police Commissioner Verne Garde says key exhibit missing in stalled Kimberly De Leon murder case
CASTRIES, St Lucia — Nearly seven years after the high-profile murder of Kimberly De Leon shocked the nation, St Lucia’s top law enforcement official has confirmed that crucial physical evidence tied to the case is missing, casting new doubt over the integrity and progress of the investigation.
Police Commissioner Verne Garde, speaking at a media briefing on Thursday, disclosed that recent developments in the long-dormant probe had prompted officers to retrieve critical evidence from police storage. However, their search proved unsuccessful.
“Investigators advised me of a significant update,” Garde said. “This led to efforts to recover physical exhibits from the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force Special Services Unit armoury and the exhibit room. As of today, we have not been able to locate the evidence in question.”
The missing material, which was not publicly specified, is believed to be essential to the renewed direction of the investigation. The latest twist adds another layer of complexity to a case that has long attracted public scrutiny and stoked distrust in the island’s justice system.
Garde noted that Kimberly De Leon’s mother, Mary Williams, was informed of the situation before the media, underscoring the family’s ongoing emotional toll in their search for closure.
Public outcry and unresolved questions
Kimberly De Leon, a mother of two and the wife of police officer Leozandrae De Leon, was fatally shot at her Morne Fortune residence on October 29, 2018. Despite early investigative activity and widespread public interest, no arrests were made, and the investigation gradually lost momentum.
In the days following her death, Kimberly’s husband was labeled a “person of interest” by police but was never charged. That designation was later withdrawn, and he subsequently pursued defamation lawsuits against law enforcement, media figures including former radio host Juk Bois, and social media personalities accused of publicly implicating him without evidence.
Additional revelations surfaced in December 2019 through investigative reporting by The STAR, including claims by Officer Leozandrae De Leon that he had warned government officials in 2015 that his life was at risk. According to the report, De Leon had a disturbing exchange with the then-police commissioner, who allegedly told him he could not guarantee his safety. The officer believed the threat stemmed from accusations that he had cooperated with authorities in the controversial IMPACS investigation, which examined alleged extrajudicial killings by police during the tenure of former Prime Minister Kenny Anthony.
Despite these alarming details, Officer Leozandrae De Leon’s reported requests for protection were denied.
Delays and inconsistencies plague investigation
In January 2024, then Police Commissioner Crusita Descartes-Pelius admitted that portions of the investigation were outside the capabilities of the local force and had been outsourced to external agencies. She stated that police were awaiting the results of overseas ballistics testing.
However, in a subsequent televised interview, Mary Williams contradicted that timeline. Speaking with Newsmaker Live host Timothy Poleon, Williams claimed that ballistics testing had already commenced in 2021. Her statement raised concerns about transparency and communication between law enforcement and the victim’s family.
By April 2024, Descartes-Pelius reiterated that the police were still awaiting reports from a foreign laboratory, but no definitive updates followed. Now, with new evidence reportedly surfacing and key exhibits nowhere to be found, the investigation appears to be at a troubling standstill.
Justice remains elusive
The disappearance of crucial forensic material has renewed questions about evidence handling within the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force and the chain of custody in homicide cases. Public confidence in the ability of law enforcement to resolve complex cases has once again been shaken, especially as this incident involves the spouse of a police officer.
For Mary Williams, who has remained vocal and steadfast in her pursuit of justice for her daughter, the news is yet another painful chapter in an already agonizing ordeal.
The Kimberly De Leon case remains open. Authorities have not indicated a timeline for resolution or whether any disciplinary measures will be taken in light of the missing evidence.
As public attention returns to this unresolved tragedy, pressure is mounting on the Pierre administration and senior law enforcement officials to restore credibility and deliver justice in one of St Lucia’s most haunting unsolved murders.
Stay with Unitedpac St Lucia News for continued coverage on this developing story and other national justice updates.
