Men plead guilty to St. Lucia deaths

• Tweet

CASTRIES, Saint Lucia, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Twelve years after being arrested for killing a priest and a nun in St. Lucia, two men have pleaded guilty to manslaughter, officials say.

The 2003 convictions of Francis Phillip and Kim John for what is said to be one of the most heinous crimes in Caribbean history were overturned in 2006, the St. Lucia Star reported Tuesday.

Philip and Kim were accused of setting worshipers on fire in 2000 during New Year's Eve mass at the Castries Cathedral. Sister Theresa Egan was killed in the attack and the Rev. Charles Gaillard died months later in a hospital.

During the initial trial, the defense argued the defendants were insane. An appeals court in 2004 upheld their convictions, but the Privy Council overturned the convictions in 2006.

The men have been held at the Bordelais Correctional Facility. Their sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 13.