Americas

Americas

U. S. murder case in Namibia postponed again

17 March 2012 03:12 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The case of two U. S. murder suspects arrested in connection with the alleged killing of Windhoek resident Andre Heckmair early last year has been postponed again, state media said, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The alleged murder case was remanded until June 1 this year for further police investigations, and to enable the Namibian Police Force to obtain legal documentation from the United States containing the correct and genuine handwriting and signature samples of accused Marcus Kevin Tomas.

Testifying in court on Friday, police investigating officer Felix Ndikoma said Tomas is not cooperating with police as he allegedly provided different and ’awkward’ handwriting and signature samples to the police.

"The handwriting and signature samples contained on the documentation of Tomas’s arrival form at the Hosea Kutako International Airport do not match with the handwriting and signature samples he is giving us now," Ndikoma was quoted by Nampa as saying.

"Therefore, we requested the assistance of the American Embassy here to provide us with the legal documentation that contain the genuine and correct handwriting and signature samples of accused Tomas," said Ndikoma.

In court on Friday, Tomas insisted that he fully cooperated with the Namibian authorities, and that he provided them with correct and genuine samples. "I have nothing else to do in this case," he said.

Tomas, who is defending himself, further claimed that the Namibian Police members are just using some delaying tactics to prolong the investigations of the case for reasons only known to themselves.

Tomas, 25, is charged in this case with his friend and countryman Kevin Townsend, 24. Police arrested the duo on Jan. 12 last year in connection with the killing of Windhoek resident Heckmair.

During their first court appearance on Jan. 14 last year, Townsend denied knowing Heckmair, claiming that he first heard this name only after his arrest.

Heckmair was scheduled to return to Europe for studies after spending a holiday with his family in Namibia. He was later found dead behind the wheel of a Land Cruiser pick-up at a cul-de-sac in Klein Windhoek.

He died of a single shot to the head.

Prompt investigations launched by the police led them later that day to a guesthouse in Windhoek West, where they arrested Tomas and Townsend on drug charges, based on some dagga that was found in their possession.

The police initially arrested the two Americans on a charge of illegal possession of dagga in order to keep them in custody while they were busy investigating the murder case, and the two suspects’ links to Heckmair.

Townsend, whose upper body, neck and hands are covered in tattoos, told the police that he is a resident of New York in the United States of America (USA), while Tomas said he lives in Los Angeles.

The two Americans appeared on Friday before Windhoek Magistrate Justine Asino along Luderitz Street. They were again remanded in police custody at the Windhoek Central Prison, with no option to post bail until their next court appearance on June 1 this year.