A St. Thomas man has admitted in court to shooting 33-year-old Latifa Raimer, with prosecutors and the defence agreeing to a 22-year prison sentence under a plea deal.
Dana Joseph Jr. stood before Judge Carol Thomas-Jacobs on Tuesday and entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder under the domestic violence statute. He will return to court for sentencing on December 29, having been held in custody since his arrest.
On May 20, 2025, Joseph transported Raimer to the emergency room at Schneider Hospital, laid her body on the ground outside the entrance, and left the scene, according to police accounts. Staff at the hospital worked to save her life, but she succumbed to a gunshot wound shortly after arrival.
Hospital surveillance video captured a dark-coloured sedan arriving at the emergency room entrance. A man exited the vehicle, removed a woman from inside, placed her on the ground, and drove off. A police sergeant recognised the driver as Joseph and tracked him down.
When officers found Joseph, he appeared distressed and bore what police described as dried blood on his hands, arms, face and the front of his jeans, the probable cause document stated. Investigators also collected physical evidence from inside his car.
Family members told detectives that Joseph and Raimer had spent roughly six years together in what they characterised as a toxic relationship. In August 2024, Joseph had shown up at Raimer's residence and discharged a firearm near the building after suspecting she was with someone else. The couple's relationship had been unstable, and Raimer had moved in with Joseph at his family's residence about a week before the May incident, during which they had planned to drop off a friend.
Police records confirm Joseph held no valid firearm license.
Residents facing domestic violence can reach the Family Resource Center's round-the-clock hotline at 800-613-6145.
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