Two Tobago families still grieving from the 2009 murder of teenaged friends Rondell Thomas, 15, and Kolen Salandy, 16, said they are not buying convicted murderer Alvaro Ayers’ last-ditch plea of innocence.

On Wednesday, Ayers, also known as Josey Wales, was sentenced to hang by Justice Althea Alexis-Windsor for the double murder. The boys’ bodies were found close to each other at French Fort in Scarborough on September 19, 2009.

Ayers was charged with Gary Mohammed for the murders but the latter was killed in a police shootout in October 2009.

An autopsy report said the teenagers died from blunt force cervical trauma and broken necks.

Ayers, who had three addresses in Tobago — at Bethel, Mason Hall, and Bagatelle No 1 in Scarborough – surrendered to the police.

He was represented by attorneys Amerelle Francis and Josiah Soo Hon at the judge-alone trial.

Before the death sentence was read to him, Ayers insisted, “I am not guilty.”

The judge has not yet given her written verdict giving the reasons she came to her decision.

When Newsday visited Thomas’ family on Friday, his mother, Ann Thomas-Patrick, said she felt sorry for Ayers but also relieved.

“I am very sorry for the young man – as a mother.

[caption id="attachment_904411" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Kurt and Cheryl Salandy, parents of murder victim Kolen Chad Salandy, look at a photo of their son at their home in Signal Hill on Friday. - DAVID REID[/caption]

“Whatsoever happened cannot bring back my child, but what I’m sure about is that he’ll never be able to hurt another family as much as he has hurt our children,” she said.

Thomas-Patrick, weeping openly as she discussed the verdict, echoed the sentiments of Pauline Bharat, the mother of murder victim Sean Luke, who exactly seven days ago learned that the two men on trial for the murder of her son in 2006 were found guilty.

“This sentence brings no comfort to me,” Thomas-Patrick said clutching a rag near her face as the tears flowed.

“How would it bring comfort to me knowing that it wouldn’t bring back my child?”

Nevertheless, she said she was grateful to have buried her son.

“The police and everybody who worked in this case did a marvellous job, I congratulate them, of course.

“I got to see my son buried – I got closure.”

‘It could have been anybody”

Thomas’ step-father, Arthur Patrick, believes the incident could have been prevented.

“There were many complaints and we as the public need to be more...insistent that the people that we have to enforce laws, take things more seriously. There were complaints about the area in which guys were selling (illegal substances) and things that they did to people, but nobody took them seriously.

“It really didn’t bound to be our son – it could have been anybody at that point.”

Patrick said since the verdict he has been getting flashbacks.

“I could see him right now, for the past couple of days I have been seeing him, his smile.”

He said Thomas loved cooking from a tender age and dreamed of becoming a chef, but he w