Nestor Colaire Pleads Not Guilty To Attempted Murder, Arson in Geiger Attack Case

The fourth suspect arrested in connection with the Oct. 29 murder of longtime island businessman David Geiger and subsequent arson, pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, arson and being an accessory after the fact in V.I. Superior Court on Thursday, Jan. 5.

Nestor Colaire, 18, of Estate Pastory, was arrested on Dec. 12.

According to court documents, Colaire went to GeigerÂ’s Estate Grunwald home Oct. 29 with Renell Lettsome, 21, and Robert Ferguson, 19, after Lettsome had bludgeoned Geiger to death and severely beat GeigerÂ’s teenage son, Nathan.

The attack occurred days after LettsomeÂ’s girlfriend, Amber Taylor, house-sat for Geiger. Tullius Stewart, 29, is charged with stealing $50,000 from GeigerÂ’s house while Taylor was house-sitting.

TaylorÂ’s Affidavit
On Oct. 28, Lettsome, Taylor, their young child, and TaylorÂ’s other child, checked into a St. Thomas hotel, according to an affidavit by Taylor. That afternoon, Lettsome went back to St. John, and returned to St. Thomas the following morning.

When Lettsome arrived at the hotel the morning of Oct. 29, he confessed to Taylor that he had gone to GeigerÂ’s house and beat him to death, according to the womanÂ’s affidavit. Lettsome also said he had beaten GeigerÂ’s son and left him unconscious.

Lettsome told her he then returned to GeigerÂ’s home with Colaire and Ferguson. The three set fire to the house to conceal the crime, leaving the unconscious Nathan inside.

Nathan sustained serious injuries, but survived the attack.

Colaire was arrested with Ferguson, who also was charged with attempted murder, arson and accessory, after they returned to the V.I. from Florida.

Job Corps Has No Record
The two claimed they went to Miami days after the murder to enroll in the Department of LaborÂ’s Job Corps. Officials at the Miami Job Corps Center had no knowledge of the two men.

“According to our records, Ferguson and Colaire were never accepted to our program,” said Job Corps business liaison Janet Perales. “We don’t have them on our list of starting students.”

Before Judge Rhys Hodge on Jan. 5, ColaireÂ’s attorney, John Stout, requested a jury trial and asked that his client be released on his own recognizance.

Colaire remains in jail on St. Thomas pending a decision.