KINGSTON, Jamaica — The man accused of killing two St Elizabeth students in January 2014 was yesterday convicted on two counts of murder.

The accused, 26-year-old Alton Baker, was charged after allegedly chopping to death 15-year-old boys Desrick Williams, a student of Balaclava High School and Ashnell Coke of Maggotty High on January 8, 2014.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, in a release today, outlined that on the afternoon of their deaths, Williams and Coke went to a river in the community of Thornton in St Elizabeth to catch shrimp. However, when the youngsters did not return home their fathers and other community members went in search of them.

Their bodies were found about 10:00pm that night by a river in a farmland known as Jackass Pasture, covered with bushes, with several gaping chop wounds to their heads.  The scene was processed and their bodies were moved to the morgue.

Baker was arrested about 3:00 am the following morning.

When confronted with the allegations he told the investigating officer: “Mi ketch dem a tief out mi grung; a long time dem a dweet so mi give dem two outta mi machete,” the DPP reported.

Baker gave an unsworn statement during trial and nine witnesses were called.

He will be sentenced in the St Elizabeth Circuit Court on March 30th.