PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten -The Court of Appeal has upheld the eighteen-year sentence handed down by the Court of First Instance to A.C.L., the killer of a Colombian national known as Pedro “Pepe” Sanchez in 2016. The Court of Appeal changed the conviction from one of qualified manslaughter to murder.
A.C.L. maintained his story that he nor his co-suspect who was never prosecuted did not stab “Pepe” 14 times. He claimed to have been with the victim on Arlet Road in Cay Hill when they were set upon by robbers. A.C.L. said he ran away from the scene and is unaware of what occurred after he fled. The Court of Appeal did not believe his version of events.
Prior to the case before the Court of First Instance, A.C.L. was extradited from the United States (US) to St. Maarten on Monday, December 23, 2019. US authorities arrested C. and extradited him to St. Maarten at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office.
