The boyfriend of a US swimming star found dead at their home on the Virgin Islands was jailed for ten years after a violent brawl in 2007, according to sources.
Jamie Cail, 42, was found unresponsive on February 21 at around midnight, with police then launching a criminal investigation.
Sources confirmed to Fox News Digital her boyfriend is Kamal Thomas, 34, who discovered her at their home after returning home from the pub.
Thomas spent years fighting against the serious charges after he and three other men attacked James Cockayne, 21, hours before his death.
He was accused of attacking Cockayne, a tourist on the island, and was initially convicted of two counts of third-degree assault and associated weapons charges.
Her boyfriend Kamal Thomas, 34, discovered her at their home after returning home from the pub
Jamie Cail, 42, was found unresponsive on February 21 by her boyfriend – who has not been identified – with police launching a criminal investigation
But his conviction was quashed in 2008 after it was revealed that prosecutors failed to turn over a key piece of evidence for the trial.
Thomas was then convicted of third-degree assault, simple assault, weapons charges and threatening a witness following a second trial in 2010.
His co-accused Anselmo Boston, was found guilty of the same charges, while Jamil Ward was convicted of second-degree murder, assault and weapons charges.
Thomas was sentenced to ten years in jail, with two years suspended, and was handed a fine of $11,750 for all of the charges, according to the V.I. Daily News.
Cockayne’s family said it is ‘very difficult’ to get justice in the Virgin Islands, as the Virgin Islands Police Department refuses to identify Cail’s boyfriend.
His mother, Jeanie Cockayne, claimed that her family hired private investigators to gather information about her son’s death – and handed it over to cops while making it public.
They spent ‘tens of thousands of dollars’ on their investigation and are urging Cail’s family to do the same, adding: ‘If they want justice for their daughter, they’re gonna need to fight for it.’
She also claimed that a resident of St John called her, and said: ‘They told me about how Kamal Thomas’ girlfriend was found dead.
James Cockayne’s (pictiured) family said it is ‘very difficult’ to get justice in the Virgin Islands, as the Virgin Islands Police Department refuses to identify Cail’s boyfriend
Authorities confirmed the medal-winning swimmer (second from right) was discovered on the floor of her boyfriend’s home on St John Island before being taken to the Myrah Keating-Smith Clinic
‘Apparently they didn’t know her well. They knew of her, and she was a nice person, but she just made bad choices. And he was one of them.’
Authorities confirmed that the medal-winning swimmer was discovered on the floor of her boyfriend’s home on St John Island before being taken to the Myrah Keating-Smith Clinic.
Hospital staff performed CPR when she arrived with her partner and a friend and ‘indicated that she was in cardiac arrest’, but Cail ‘succumbed’ and passed away in the early hours.
Detectives were informed of the dead-on-arrival case, with an autopsy being performed to determine her cause of death.
Officers from the Criminal Investigation Bureau are probing the death, though a spokesman for the VIPD did not respond to further questions from DailyMail.com.
It comes after her family said they have been left ‘devastated’ and ‘shook to the core’ by her death, as friends posted several cryptic messages about the tragic swimmer’s passing.
It comes after her family said they have been left ‘devastated’ and ‘shook to the core’ by her death, as friends posted several cryptic messages about the tragic swimmer’s passing
The former University of Maine swimmer worked at a coffee shop and bookstore in St John
One claimed she had been ‘trying to escape’, and added that she ‘deserves justice’ despite no arrests being made in connection with her death.
They described her as an ‘amazing human and friend’, while writing in a separate post about Cali that they were ‘going to find out the truth’.
Another post – which appeared to also be about the swimmer – said: ‘She tried to escape to start healing. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it in time. You were so close honey’.
It was followed by advice for what to do if you are in an abusive relationship, but there has been no confirmation of the circumstances surrounding Cail’s death.
The former University of Maine swimmer worked at a coffee shop and bookstore in St John.
Heartbroken residents have left tributes for the award-winning swimmer outside of the store, along with flowers.
Cail, from Claremont, New Hampshire, was a star swimmer who competed across the US in her youth.
Heartbroken residents have left tributes for the award-winning swimmer outside of the store, along with flowers
In 1996-1997, with Bolles, Cail was included in the ten Top 16 lists published by United States Swimming, and swam in college at USC
A friend told WMUR: ‘ She was just she was she was a very beautiful person. She had a huge heart.
‘She was really loving and kind and well-loved and popular on the island and everybody knows her.’
In 1997, she competed for the US at the Pan Pacific Championships and won a gold medal in a relay race and won a silver medal at the 1998-1999 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Brazil.
The swimming star attended Bolles School, which is known for its swimming program, in Jackson, Florida.
Cail still holds the record for the the 200 yard fly, 400 yard IM, 200 meter IM, and 400 meter IM in the 15-16 age group.
She won several high school state championships in Huntington Beach, where she moved to train with the Golden West Swim Club in California.
Cail was a member of the US team at the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships as just a teenager, where she won a gold medal on the team’s 800 free relay, according to SwimSwam.
One friend claimed she had been ‘trying to escape’, and added that she ‘deserves justice’ despite no arrests being made in connection with her death
She won a silver medal at the 1998-1999 FINA Swimming World Cup in Brazil in the 800 free as a member of the United States Swimming National B Team.
In 1996-1997, with Bolles, Cail was included in the ten Top 16 lists published by United States Swimming, and swam in college at USC.
In a statement, VIPD said: ‘On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, at approximately 2:39 a.m., detectives were notified of a dead on arrival (D.O.A) case at the Myrah Keating-Smith Clinic on St. John.
‘On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, a male reported he arrived at his residence where he discovered his girlfriend on the floor.
‘With the assistance from a friend, the female was transported to the Myrah Keating-Smith Clinic, where hospital staff indicated the female was in cardiac arrest. Hospital staff rendered CPR but, the female succumbed.
‘The female was identified by her boyfriend as 42-year-old, Ms. Jamie Cail from New Hampshire. An autopsy is pending to determine the cause of death.
‘This case is presently under investigation by the Criminal Investigation Bureau.’
Anyone with any information regarding this case is urged to contact 911, Criminal Investigation Bureau – Major Crime Unit at (340)774-2211 or Crime Stoppers V.I. at 1 (800)222-TIPS.
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