- Husband, Father, Assistant Manager, Musician, Friend to Many - And Now He is Dead ! -
Details of the Crime
In St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sunday, December 11, 2005, around 10:00 p.m., Wilson Saintil, 51, a Haitian refugee, stabbed Durango Steak House assistant manager, Stephen Francis Holmes, 29, to death. Mr. Holmes body was discovered by an exterminator who was making his regular rounds at around 12:00 midnight. Durango Steak House is located at 3901 4th Street, North. Holmes lived just seven blocks from the restaurant.
Burton Bullard, a Durango spokesman, said Holmes was a devoted husband and father who was promoted recently to assistant manager. Mr. Holmes lived together with his wife, Jennifer, and eight-year-old son, Mikey. The death of Holmes is the 31st homicide this year in St. Petersburg, the highest one-year total in the city since 1995. Investigators say they learned there was some missing cash from the restaurant, and it appears robbery was the motive. The suspect worked for several years as a maintenance man at the restaurant, and has a long criminal history. Stephen Holmes was buried on Saturday, December 17, 2005.
A judge ordered 51-year-old Wilson Saintil held without bond and appointed him a public defender. Saintil is charged with first degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Stephen Holmes. Saintil was arrested Friday, when he returned to Durango's Steak House on 4th Street North. That's where Holmes' body was discovered early Monday morning. Authorities say Saintil stabbed Holmes to death and robbed the restaurant. Saintil had been the maintenance man at the restaurant for several years. Meanwhile, Holmes' co-workers, friends and family paid their final respects to the husband and father. Holmes' widow said on Friday she was shocked when she heard Saintil may be responsible. He and her husband had been friends. She says she didn't meet Saintil until after the murder, when he showed up at her home. Jennifer Holmes, Widow: Saintil has a criminal history in Miami of robbery and aggravated assault with a weapon.
"He didn't say anything. He didn't say anything at all. He shook my hand, he didn't even look up. I don’t know, people were saying he blamed himself, he was the last person to see Stephen alive and I thought he was just devastated over it all. He just stood there numb."
Saintil, who was born in Haiti, has lived in Florida since at least 1975. Records show that in 1982 he was convicted in Miami-Dade County of robbery, aggravated assault and carrying a concealed weapon. Records show he has been divorced at least three times, most recently in March. Last year, his then-wife got a temporary domestic violence injunction against him, but it was dismissed earlier this year. More than once he has been pursued in court for not paying child support.
Earlier Friday, police used a bloody fingerprint to link Saintil to the crime, police Sgt. Mike Puetz said. Investigators watched several locations, including the restaurant, where Saintil has a key. Puetz said they saw Saintil on Friday, December 16, 2005, go inside Durango, where he spent several hours cleaning. He walked out to officers waiting to arrest him about 4:45 p.m. Robbery apparently was the motive in the slaying: Police said more than $1,000 was taken. Holmes, who was stabbed several times in the upper body, appeared to have struggled with the killer, police spokesman Bill Proffitt said. Saintil, of 550 50th Ave. N, Apt. 9, has had the contract to clean at least two area Durango restaurants for several years, police said. Puetz said Saintil went to the restaurant early Monday to steal, not clean. Florida Department of Corrections records show Saintil served at least four years starting in 1982 for a Miami-Dade County arrest on armed robbery, aggravated assault and concealed weapon charges. He was placed on probation for those crimes in 1986. After his arrest, Saintil asked for a lawyer and did not provide additional information for investigators, Proffitt said. A person who answered the phone at Saintil's home Friday had no comment on the arrest. A man who answered Saintil's home phone number said the family had no comment. Holmes was a St. Petersburg native who graduated from Northeast High School and was an aspiring musician. He played bass and keyboards. Next month, the group was to play for his 30th birthday. Holmes' widow, Jennifer, could not be reached for comment Friday night. In an interview Thursday, she said she was having trouble coping with a tragedy so close to Christmas and knew it was affecting their 8-year-old son, Mikey. Holmes' funeral today, Saturday, December 17, is at Holy Family Catholic Church in St. Petersburg. The public is invited to the 9:30 a.m. service, followed by burial.
