Triple Murder Suspect Freed of Drug Charges
- Vivian Tyson, NewslineTCI Editor
- 6 minutes ago
- 1 min read
Triple murder suspect Jael De Jesus Rigby has been freed of four drug-related charges on Wednesday, June 3, after a Grand Turk magistrate upheld a no-case submission made by his attorney.
Rigby appeared before Magistrate Pat Arana charged with two counts of possession of controlled drugs and two counts of possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply.
During the proceedings, defense attorney Oliver Smith argued that there was no case for Rigby to answer, submitting that the Crown had failed to comply with the requirements of Section 26(2) and that the chain of custody for the drug exhibits had been broken.
After considering the arguments, Magistrate Arana ruled in favor of Rigby, resulting in his acquittal on all four charges.
Despite being cleared of the drug offences, Rigby was escorted back to prison following the hearing as he remains in custody on separate charges stemming from the deadly shooting at the Island Hookah Lounge in Providenciales.
Rigby, 19, was deported from the Dominican Republic to the Turks and Caicos Islands on November 16, 2025, after being detained by law enforcement authorities there. Upon arriving at the Howard Hamilton International Airport, he was taken into police custody.
Five days later, on November 21, 2025, officers from the Serious Crime Unit of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force charged him in connection with the July 27, 2025, shooting at the Island Hookah Lounge.
He faces one count of murder, one count of discharging a firearm, and one count of conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to injure.