Murderer Sentenced to Life without Parole
- Mark Dworkin
- Nov 21
- 1 min read
A.J. Pike
USVI - V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea announced that the Honorable Judge Ernest E. Morris, Jr. sentenced 34 year-old Kertis Tonge, Jr. to a life sentence without parole on November 19, 2025, for the murder of Quanza Heath.
This sentence comes after a jury convicted Mr. Tonge, on September 10, 2025, of Murder in the First Degree, Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, Assault in the Third Degree, Reckless Endangerment, Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm, and Unauthorized Possession of Ammunition.
On October 23, 2024, Kertis Tonge, Jr. went uninvited to a Lorraine Village Apartment, St. Croix, shortly before noon. After getting into a dispute with the occupants, he intentionally shot and killed Quanza Heath, an adult male, who was inside the apartment. In total he fired three shots in the apartment occupied by Quanza Heath, an adult female and multiple children.
After a citizen called 911, responding officers found Quanza Heath with multiple gunshot wounds and quickly transported him to Juan F. Luis Hospital for emergency treatment, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Attorney General Rhea expressed gratitude to everyone involved in their hard work, including the prosecutors, investigators, the Victim Witness Advocate, and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
