down the Bermudian Good Samaritan who agreed to look after her while her mother was away.

And a spokesman for Denver Police said minister's daughter Jennifer Tombs -- who has a history of crime -- will be charged with first degree murder, a capital offence in the state of Colorado.

Sergeant Mark Lewis added that the city's District Attorney will also ask for the girl to be tried as an adult rather than as a juvenile.

He said: "We are presenting to the District Attorney a case for first degree murder.

"She will be tried as an adult and that could carry the death penalty.'' Sgt Lewis explained: "Someone aged 16 is technically a juvenile, but a juvenile can be charged as an adult for some offences, including first degree murder.'' Latanya Lavallais -- the daughter of a Bermudian woman and who was only weeks away from starting a new life on the Island -- died instantly after being shot five times on Friday night.

She was killed after agreeing to look after the teenage delinquent daughter of the female minister of the church she and her mother, Valeria Vermont, born Cox, attended.

Ms Lavallais is understood to have gone to the girl's home in the Montbello district of the city as arranged on Friday night and was shot sometime between 10 p.m. and 11 a.m.

Her step-father Errol Vermont -- who visited the scene of the shooting around midnight after being unable to get through on the phone -- was told by Tombs that his daughter had left.

He noticed Ms Lavallais car was not at the house and returned home -- but he became worried when she still had not arrived back by Saturday morning.

Mr. Vermont, himself a preacher, went back to the house and found his daughter's body.

Denver Police admitted afterwards they were shocked by the brutal slaying.

A spokesman said: "We don't have any idea what the motive was -- from every report we have, Ms Lavallais was a really nice person and people here are astounded that something like this could happen.'' A group of teenagers believed to have been at the Tombs house on Friday night were arrested and interviewed in connection with the killing on Saturday.

Among them was Tombs -- a known troublemaker who was under house arrest and electronically tagged at the time of the shooting.

Ms Lavallais grandfather, Maurice Williams, who lives in North Shore Road, Pembroke, told The Royal Gazette after the shooting that his grand-daughter had visited Bermuda last year and stayed for several months.

He said Ms Lavallais had been granted Bermudian status and worked for Hamilton jewellers Crisson's for around three months and had taken an apartment in the Happy Valley Road area.

Mr. Williams said his grand-daughter only returned to America to settle her affairs and planned to set up home on the Island.

He added Ms Lavallais' alleged killer had visited Bermuda with Mrs. Vermont two years ago.

BERMUDIAN BDA