A man has been charged with murder in connection with the 2019 disappearance of 83-year-old Cletus “Banana Split” Hippolyte, whose whereabouts remain unknown nearly seven years later.
Kiril Didier was charged on Thursday, November 5, following an identification parade conducted a day earlier. Police had apprehended him during a targeted operation on Tuesday, November 3.
Didier is expected to appear before the court for a bail hearing.
The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) said in a statement on Friday that the investigation into Hippolyte’s disappearance was recently reopened by the Gangs, Narcotics and Firearms Unit (GNFU), as officers pursued new leads. However, the police have not disclosed what those leads revealed or what evidence led to them charging Didier.
Hippolyte went missing from his home in Gros Islet in September 2019. His disappearance had prompted extensive police investigations and search operations.
His whereabouts are unknown and his remains have not been recovered.
The RSLPF is therefore appealing to anyone with information that could assist the investigation to contact the nearest police station.
