St. Maarten murder suspect arrested for South Carolina couple’s death

St. Maarten police have a suspect in custody after they found two Americans stabbed to death, The Associated Press reported.

Thelma and Michael King of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina died late last week in an apparent double murder.

After friends couldn’t contact them, police found the Kings bound to chairs in their Ocean Club Resort condominium on the Dutch Caribbean island.

Police said they haven’t charged the suspect and aren’t ready to release any names.

The grisly discovery triggered a massive police effort involving 25 officers on the island, which is just 13 square miles with 40,000 people.

Police representative Ricardo Henson told the AP details will be available “as soon as more information can be divulged.”

Michael, 53, was an insurance executive who later sold a printing business and eventually became a restaurant owner, the Post and Courier newspaper said.

They were beginning a rum business on the island, friends told the newspaper.

“I know they installed some heavy video cameras a couple of weeks ago and security at the gate,” one of Michael King’s business partners, Terry Tamblyn, said.

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