After Life Sentence in Lorraine Village Murder, Kertis Tonge Files Appeal Challenging Jury Verdicts

ST. CROIX — Two months after a jury found Kertis Tonge Jr. guilty of murder and six related crimes in the 2024 Lorraine Village shooting that killed Quanza Heath, Tonge has now been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole — and has simultaneously moved to challenge the verdicts before the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands. His appeal raises questions about the sufficiency of the evidence and several rulings made during trial, setting the stage for a new round of legal proceedings in the high-profile case. Tonge was convicted in September of first- and second-degree murder, first- and third-degree assault, unauthorized possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition. Judge Ernest Morris Jr. imposed the life-without-parole sentence last week. According to trial evidence, the case stemmed from an incident on October 23, 2024, when Tonge arrived uninvited at an apartment in Lorraine Village shortly before noon. After a dispute with the occupants, he fired th...