Why did teen kill? (Update)

The family of murdered teen Malcolm Outerbridge left court yesterday still no closer to understanding why their son was brutally stabbed to death by a so-called ‘friend’.

And despite a desperate last attempt by Malcolm Outerbridge Snr to ask Rashaun Codrington face-to-face in the courtroom why he had murdered his son, they were left with no answers.

Codrington, who was 15 at the time of the frenzied attack, was jailed indefinitely at Supreme Court yesterday for what the judge described as a “wicked, stupid and senseless act”.

In a moment of high drama before the sentence was passed down, the killer turned to face his victim’s family in the public gallery from the dock and apologized for the pain he had caused them.

It prompted Mr Outerbridge Snr to ask “why did you do this?” but there was no reply from Codrington — the youngest person to be convicted of murder in Bermuda’s history.

Anguish

Outside court Mr Outerbridge Snr told the Bermuda Sun: “We still do not know why Malcolm was killed despite all the court appearances over the last two years. That is the hardest thing to live with.

“I just want to know why this boy killed my son. Every day I wake up and just want to know why.” 

Babyfaced killer Rashaun Codrington stabbed his victim 27 times during a frenzied attack on the Railway Trail.

The teenager then dragged Malcolm Outerbridge’s body into the bushes and tried to dispose of his own blood soaked clothes to cover his tracks.

Yesterday Judge Stephen Hellman described Codrington’s actions as ‘wicked, stupid and senseless’ as the 16-year-old became the youngest person ever to be convicted of murder in Bermuda.

The court heard that Codrington and Mr Outerbridge, 18, had been spotted by numerous members of the public walking along the Railway Track on the day of the killing.

Some were later able to positively identify Codrington as the man walking with Mr Outerbridge in the Bulkhead Drive area.

Jumped

At around 12:35pm on October 28, 2011 Mr Outerbridge made a desperate call to police saying that he had been ‘jumped’.

He tried to relay his location to the operator and said he could not breath and needed an ambulance.

Police and EMTs descended on the scene and began to search the area.

EMT Donald Astwood found Mr Outerbridge after spotting blood spatter and drag marks on the trail.

Mr Outerbridge was covered in blood and had sustained multiple stab wounds to his neck and chest.

He told EMT Astwood: “I have been stabbed, and these guys dragged me up here.”

Mr Outerbridge was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead at 1:25pm.

A black trash bag containing clothing, including a pair of Timberland boots, and a broken knife blade were found close to the murder scene.

DNA tests later linked the clothing found at the scene to Codrington.

On October 29 at 3pm Codrington was arrested on suspicion of murder.

When he was cautioned he replied “No comment under the advice of my lawyer.”

A further examination revealed Codrington had sustained a string of injuries to his body.

And he was later picked out in a Promat Identification Parade.

At 6:07pm on October 30, 2011, Codrington was charged with murder.

He replied: “Does it look like I want to say anything?”

At Supreme Court yesterday Judge Hellman jailed Codrington indefinitely.

And he ordered that the teenager serve a minimum of seven years behind bars before he can be considered for release by the parole.

He said: “Not only have you robbed your friend of his life, you have brought suffering to his family, and no doubt your own.”