I was rereading this thread today and realized it hadn't been updated in a long time...
• I didn't see this article posted in the thread already; it had some details I don't remember reading:
http://thenewtoday.gd/local-news/2016/02/04/benjamin-charged-brutal-murder/#gsc.tab=0
• Jessica's body was released to her husband in February 2016:
http://www.ajc.com/news/local/body-...nada-released-husband/rluvhU30nJCCoOPvpU8N9J/
• A "key witness" was found that month, as well:
http://thenewtoday.gd/local-news/2016/02/22/key-witnesses-jessica-colker-murder/#gsc.tab=0
[T]he Police have landed a major witness to give evidence for the State in the ongoing Preliminary Inquiry into the killing.
A source who did not want to be identified described the person who is co-operating as a male individual who was in the company of the accused on the night of the incident.
He said the individual had made a formal statement to the police, which they regard as key for the Preliminary.
• This article from June indicates that there were roughly 22 witnesses that were meant to be called for the Preliminary Hearing (13 had testified at the time this article was written), and one of the State's witnesses was declared hostile due to a change in his testimony:
http://thenewtoday.gd/local-news/2016/06/09/hostile-witness-dave-benjamin-murder-inquiry/#gsc.tab=0
THE NEW TODAY understands that Francis wrote a statement to the Prosecutor that he saw someone running from the area in which the murder took place and could have identified the individual.
However, when he appeared on the Witness Stand in the PI, he could not say whether he knew the person or not.
• In July, an article was posted that summarized three more witness testimonies:
http://thenewtoday.gd/local-news/2016/07/14/dave-benjamin-murder-proceedings/#gsc.tab=0
The first to take the stand at Monday’s court sitting before Magistrate Karen Noel was Richard John, a resident of Coals Gap in St. David’s, a fellow villager of the accused.
THE NEW TODAY understands that John’s name was used as an alibi by the suspect when he was apprehended by the police in January.
District Medical Officer for the Parish of St. David, Dr. John Layne was also called to give evidence as he was the medical personnel who was called to the scene after Colker’s body was discovered.
The last witness called to the stand to give evidence was Officer attached to the Criminal Records Office (CRO) of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF), Detective Sergeant Dominic Daniel who gave a detailed explanation of records taken as a result of the murder.
• The Preliminary Inquiry was still going on in October 2016, when one of the State's key witnesses (who was going to testify about what Benjamin told him the night of the murder) went into hiding:
http://thenewtoday.gd/local-news/2016/10/04/key-witness-in-murder-case-gone-into-hiding/#gsc.tab=0
State Prosecutors will have anxious looks on their faces today (Friday) to see if one of their key witnesses will show up to give evidence in the Preliminary Inquiry into the murder of U.S national, Jessica Colker.
Well-placed sources told THE NEW TODAY newspaper that the Prosecution Department of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) is in search of Jason Peters known by many as “Pussy Man” to give evidence before the Presiding Magistrate at the St. David’s Magistrate’s Court.
Peters had given a statement to the police within days of the murder, which linked the accused, Dave Benjamin to the January 24th murder of Colker on an isolated beach at La Sagesse.
The witness has failed on two occasions to appear before Magistrate Karen Noel after giving an earlier undertaking to co-operate with the lawmen.
• In November 2016, the Preliminary Inquiry concluded and the sitting Magistrate decided the case should go to trial:
http://thenewtoday.gd/local-news/2016/11/21/case-against-dave-benjamin-heads-to-trial/#gsc.tab=0
According to [State Prosecutor] Pinnock, the high court proceedings will follow the same procedure as that of the Preliminary Inquiry with the exception that the accused would be given a chance to tell his side of the story.
The State is hopeful that the trial at the high court level could take place during the early months of 2017.
And if you were wondering, like I was, why the PI took so long, here's a quote from that article: “[The Inquiry] could have been a little shorter but as you know the St. David’s Court only have sittings on Mondays and Fridays."
I can't find any info about the trial starting; I'm not sure if it hasn't started yet or if it just hasn't been covered, but I'd guess the former.