WILLEMSTAD - Ashton Lake is expected to be released on parole this year after 38 years in prison. The man from Anguilla was sentenced to life in prison in 1984 for the murder of a 5-year-old girl in Sint Maarten. He was then 21 years old, Lake is now 59.
The murder made headlines for the atrocities that preceded it. He kidnapped the girl on her birthday, raped her and threw her into the sea with a rock tied to her feet. He wanted to take revenge on her family. The probation reports now are good and positive.
Lake expressed regret in court for the atrocities he committed and the pain he caused the family. The judge will rule on February 17.