Fugitive yacht..

[boatman61]

Police pull out of pursuit of desperate man on yacht 'Sea Oak' | Matangi Tonga

[svHyLyte]

Boatman--What's the back story on this? Do you know?

[boatman61]

Only whats been reported here.. he is suspected of murdering his wife.. did a runner before the court date.

An American, facing charges of murder in Tonga, escaped from Vava’u Police custody this morning and fled on his yacht. Tonga Police are currently engaged in a dangerous confrontation with the man at sea, Northwest of Vava’u, and are attempting to re-apprehend*him.
Dean Jay Fletcher (54), escaped from police custody at Vava’u Police Station at approximately 3.30am this morning, 29 September*2016.
Police confirmed at 3:24pm that Fletcher used his own yacht to enable his*escape.
“At 06.00am Police on board the Police Boat “Kapakau ‘O Tafahi” located the escaped prisoner and his yacht at approximately 6 – 10 miles Northwest of Vava’u and are attempting to apprehend*him.
“The escaped prisoner is refusing to stop and making threats to himself and police officers, which has not allowed for a safe boarding at this stage. Further assistance has been dispatched to the area,” Tonga Police*stated.
Commissioner Steve Caldwell says that the full circumstances of Fletcher’s escape will be investigated. “But at this stage our priority is to safely apprehend and return Mr. Fletcher to custody,” he*said.
At 4:30pm the stand off was continuing with five Tongan police officers on the small Police search and rescue*boat.
Death of*wife
Fletcher was first arrested in Tonga in July on a charge of manslaughter and detained in custody following the death of his Canadian wife (56) on a yacht in Neiafu, Vava'u, on July 7 this year. The accused and his wife had first arrived in Vava’u on their yacht, Sea Oak, on 26 May and docked at*the*Puatalefusi*Harbour.
On September 22 the Crown Prosecutor's office confirmed that the charges now included*murder.*
Under the Criminal Offences Act of Tonga the crimes of treason and murder can be punished by the death penalty (although in practice, Tonga has not utilised the death penalty for many years, with the last execution in 1982). Convictions for murder are rare, and those convicted may be spared the death penalty and sentenced instead to*life*imprisonment.

[tuffr2]

This is where a 'go fast' boat is needed...not a sail boat...ugh.

Sent from my SM-G360V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[goat]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

This is where a 'go fast' boat is needed...not a sail boat...ugh.

Sent from my SM-G360V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Or, don't kill your wife.

[topmast]

Toss a grapple on the bow winch and tow away. If he comes on deck try for a leg shot.

[JPA Cate]

Offhand, suspicious as we may be, All we have is a media report. Sure, he shouldn't try to escape via boat, but how can we tell it wasn't manslaughter rather than murder?

Does Dean Jay Fletcher have any other criminal record? convictions?

Ann

P.S. Does anybody recognize the type and size of boat? Looks 36 -40 ft. to me.

[ErikFinn]

What's it about the Pacific and the Fletchers..?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by ErikFinn

What's it about the Pacific and the Fletchers..?

Ummmm, the Christians.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

P.S. Does anybody recognize the type and size of boat? Looks 36 -40 ft. to me.

Looks a heck of a lot like a late 60's Camper and Nicholson to me.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

... but how can we tell it wasn't manslaughter rather than murder? ...

I believe that's one of the purposes of a trial.

[ErikFinn]

I'm no lawyer but I reckon the prosecutor believes he/she has evidence to show it was planned and premeditated, not just a boil over in red mist or whatever
.

[Joe Abbott]

Getaway vehicle: Sea Oak, hull #17, a Pearson/Rhodes 41, 1964(The Pearson Rhodes 41 Sailboat : Bluewaterboats.org). Flagged Canadian hailing from Vancouver BC - per comments by Dean himself.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by ErikFinn

I'm no lawyer but I reckon the prosecutor believes he/she has evidence to show it was planned and premeditated, not just a boil over in red mist or whatever
.

You may be correct, but do remember that this event took place in Tonga, not LA. And things are different there...

FWIW, some years ago we sat through a trial in Nukualofa, needing to have the judge witness a legal document for us. It was most interesting, and not very similar to what I had seen in US courtrooms. Much less formal, and certainly much less dramatic... no impassioned speeches by attorneys and some very human decisions made by the presiding judge, decisions that made sense (to us at least) and which seemed to avoid the letter of law to some degree. We thought it was great, but then we are not lawyers and had no dog in the fight.

It is quite possible that things there have changed, but I expect that it is still a bit less formal and structured than what is experienced in the USA.

On another subject, one wonders where the accused plans to go? Not that easy to outrun a search in a cruising yacht, and while the other islands in teh area are kinda third world, they all have official communications with each other and will be on the lookout for the fugitive. I doubt his long term escape, whether guilty or innocent.

Jim