PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Reliable information reaching 721news reported that the two remains found in Galisbay and Belair belongs to two missing persons in the “Mars” case. According to information reaching 721news, families were notified by police about the findings.
The body found in a container on the port of Galisbay on the French side, and the one in Belair have been positively matched – through DNA identification – to the two missing men Luis Diaz-Sarante and Edwin Rosario in the “Mars” case.
On Monday, December 5, 2016, Luis David Sarante-Diaz also known as “Blanco” and Edwin Rosario Contreras also known as “Eggy,” were last seen during the afternoon in the vicinity of Simpson Bay Resort.
In a previous press release, Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson said, “These two men were never seen or heard from since the disappearance. The investigating team has interviewed a large number of witnesses and gathered quite a bit of relevant information.”
In light of the ongoing investigation code-named “MARS,” a house search took place on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 early in the morning in Dutch Quarter (Housing project). The investigation was led by the Prosecutor’s Office in collaboration with members of the St. Maarten Police Force (KPSM) and the Detectives Cooperation Team (RST) and in the presence of an investigative Judge.
During the search, the suspect Kalaika K.K. Simmons (31) (Cuchi’s child’s mother) was arrested. She is suspected, in the MARS investigation, of involvement in the disappearance of the two men Sarante-Diaz and Rosario.
Since December 5, 2016, the men were not seen or heard from. Back then, digital data carriers and documents were also confiscated during the search. In connection with this investigation, another suspect Tito Fortune (27) (Cuchi’s brother), was arrested during a house search in the Belvedere area on February 16, 2017.
On Wednesday, July 12, 2017, a press release was issued by the Police Department in the local newspapers and on social media, in search of a green old model Dodge Caravan. This vehicle was last seen on the premises of the Simpson Bay Resort and Marina on the same date the two men went missing, and was most probably used in the disappearance of both men.
As the investigation continued on Wednesday, July 12, the man with initials M.A.W. was arrested at that time as a suspect in this case. The green old model Dodge Caravan was located and confiscated for further investigation. The suspect remains in restricted custody for questioning in this investigation. M.A.W. became the third suspect in the “Mars case.”
In a press release issued by the St. Kitts Police (RSCNPF), they confirmed that Kathron “Cuchi” Fortune was arrested in St. Kitts.
RSCNPF stated: “A man wanted in St. Maarten, suspected to be involved with a number of murders and who escaped from prison in February (2016), was captured in St. Kitts on Saturday morning (July 29) by a patrol of Officers from Police District B, who responded to the sighting of unusual activity along the coastline in Cranstoun Bay, an area in the vicinity of Newton Ground.”
Reliable information told 721news that Cuchi will be charged with the death of these two people and will be considered the main suspect in Mars case.
Three detectives from KPS were sent to St. Kitts and they have now returned to St. Maarten. The Public Prosecutor’s Office has not issued any official statement as yet on if they have formally requested his extradition. Local authorities were tight lipped on “Cuchi’s” whereabouts.
KPS statement: Anyone having additional information pertaining to the investigation of these missing men should immediately get in contact with the Criminal Intelligence Department #9300, the police hotline 911, email: tips@policesxm.sx .Your information will be handled with complete confidentiality.
