0 Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
ST. THOMAS — The V.I.P.D. has identified the victim and suspect of a homicide that occurred on Sept. 17th of last year, when a decomposing body was recovered from a shallow grave in Smith Bay, dug by a suspect that was unknown at the time. The incident was reported at about 4:25 p.m. on Sept. 17 by a resident who told police that a foul odor was emanating from the surrounding area, V.I.P.D. Public Information Officer at the time, Toby Derima, told the Consortium.
When police arrived to the area, officers searched the bushes near the resident's house, where a fresh, shallow grave was discovered with a body placed in a garbage bag that was tied with cloth, according to Mr. Derima.
V.I.P.D. Commissioner Ray Martinez told the Consortium at the time that the police department suspected foul play. "We definitely suspect foul play," he said. Though foul play was suspected, the V.I.P.D. had to perform an autopsy before making a final determination. On Sept. 23, the incident was classified a homicide by the Medical Examiner's Office.
The deceased was identified by DNA comparison as 69-year-old Thomas F. Carpenter, according to police.
The V.I.P.D. said an investigation revealed that Carpenter was killed by his roommate Troy Massoth, who subsequently left St. Thomas and traveled to California.
The St. Thomas Major Crimes Unit, assisted by the Nampa, Idaho Investigation Unit and the San Diego, California Homicide Unit located Massoth in Oakland, California, the V.I.P.D. made known.
On Monday, January 31 the Oakland Marshal Service apprehended Massoth at the Oakland airport attempting to board a flight to San Diego, California.
Massoth was awaiting an extradition hearing to determine if he would waive or fight extradition before traveling back to St. Thomas to face murder charges, according to the V.I.P.D.
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