One of the men charged with the murder of former Yap’s acting Attorney General Rachelle Bergeron, pleaded not guilty in an arraignment yesterday
Francis Choay Buchun was previously charged with several counts of criminal complaints that include murder, manslaughter, conspiracy to commit murder and assault with a dangerous weapon
In October Buchun was charged together with Anthony Rutun Teteth and was charged with the murder of Bergeron.
In the criminal complaint filed before the Yap State Supreme Court on October 28, Rutun and Buchun allegedly conspired to kill Bergeron.
According to court documents, Buchun and Rutun have been “planning the murder weeks in advance and arranging for weapons and ammunition.”
Buchun allegedly planned the killing of Bergeron with Rutun, and drove Rutun, who allegedly fired the shots, to Ms. Bergeron’s house.
Bergeron was killed by gunfire, Oct. 14, outside her home after returning from her daily jog.
Ms. Bergeron was rushed to the hospital, but due to fatal wounds, 21 bullet holes in total, she was dead on arrival.
Although Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) prohibits gun possession, Ms. Bergeron was shot three times at close range, with locals confirming the use of a shotgun to kill the American lawyer.
The murder shocked the otherwise peaceful state of Yap as Governor Henry Falan vowed to do everything to have justice prevail and restore civility into the state following the shooting. (Bernadette H. Carreon)