FREDERIKSTED — An Antigua man who was shot to death at a West End bar last month was using an alias to conceal his true identity, authorities said.
Ulcier “Fire” Crump aka “Brandon Nesbitt,” 33, was killed after gunshots rang out at the El Rincon Bar on September 29.
Two people on St. Croix separately identified the native of Antigua and Barbuda as “Fire” (nickname) and Crump (last name) after seeing his picture.
But when the Virgin Islands Free Press approached Police Commissioner Delroy Richards Sr. if the gunshot victim’s name was “Nehemiah ‘Fire” Crump’ he said his name was “Brandon ‘Fire’ Nesbitt.”
So the V.I. Free Press went public with Ulcier “Fire” Crump’s name as Brandon Nesbitt, at that time.
Nobody has disputed that the photos the V.I Freep posted of “Fire” Crump are authentic and your watchdog online newspaper is the only news source in the territory to publish the bona fide pictures of the victim.
“It’s a good thing police did not rush to release his identity after the killing since he was using an alias and concealing his real name,” VIPD spokesman Glen Dratte told the St. Croix Avis.
Richards said that Crump was recently released from prison and was no stranger to the criminal justice system.
He said that Crump was arrested on January 8 after a drive-by shooting in Frederiksted in which an adult and two children were seriously injured.
Police identified Crump as Nesbitt at that time and he was arrested and charged in the shooting.
What Dratte didn’t mention is that it is unusual for police to take so long to notify the next of kin and that the Virgin Islands Police Department had no clue as to who the person was who was dead — which was apparent by the amount of time that went by before he was positively identified.
The V.I. Free Press played a part in the man’s true identity being discovered by poorly-trained law enforcement here.
Nesbitt’s killing was the 19th homicide on St. Croix at that time.
The VIPD’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) is asking anyone with information to please contact the CIB tip-line at 469 475 3871, 340-778-2211 Crimestoppers USVI at 1-800-222-8477 or 911.
