Boston Man Accused Of Killing Parents In St. Thomas Fighting Extradition To Territory

ST. THOMAS — Mikhail Young, the man who the Virgin Islands Police Department accused of killing his mother and father while they were vacationing at the Crystal Cove Resort on Sapphire Bay on St. Thomas’ east end, is fighting extradition from Massachusetts to the territory, according to a report on the Boston Globe.

On May 5, a St. Thomas Superior Court judged issued an arrest warrant for Young, accusing him of first-degree and second-degree murder. However, Young’s lawyer, Stanley Norkunas, told a judge in Framingham, MA District Court last Thursday that many factors stood in the way of his client’s return to the Virgin Islands.

Young, 24, who has a history of violence according to court documents, allegedly stabbed his parents multiple times, leaving one lying lifeless in a tub while the other was found brutally murdered on the vacation home’s bed. The family had taken the vacation to celebrate Kenneth Young’s 73rd birthday. His wife, Jane Young, who recently retired as a teacher, was 66.

The VIPD says it has footage of Young leaving the vacation home on May 2, when he booked a ticket to Boston. The double homicide victims were found on May 4 by a maid.

Sudbury police arrested Young, who is also on probation on a charge of indecent exposure, on May 5. He was arraigned on a fugitive from justice charge until his hearing on June 4.

Middlesex, MA District Attorney Marian Ryan’s office has requested that the court hold Young without bail pending his extradition to the Virgin Islands.

Young’s lawyer, however, said authorities have yet to show any evidence linking Young to his parents’ killing.

“He is grief-stricken,” Norkunas said.

Massachusetts law requires that the governor of the Virgin Islands issue a warrant for Young’s arrest and police in the territory must show probable cause that Young committed the crime before he can be extradited, Norkunas said.

Norkunas said Boston law also requires that Young, who had been prescribed antipsychotic medication for years, understand the rendition process. Norkunas said that he wanted his client to meet with a professional who can assess whether Young has the ability to comprehend what is happening to him.

Court documents have stated that Young suffered from bipolar disorder and that his parents repeatedly sought restraining orders against him.