Lavallais was last night set to be charged with the murder of the Bermudian woman.

Detective John Wyckoff of the Denver Police Department confirmed: "We have a 16-year-old female in custody held for investigation of homicide.'' He confirmed the teenager was a resident in the Denver, Colorado, home where Ms Lavaillais, 23, was shot five times on Friday night and that teenager was likely to be charged with murder in "the next couple of days.'' He declined to identify the girl, but The Royal Gazette can reveal she is Denver minister's daughter Jennifer Tombs. Ms Lavallais step-father, Errol Vermont, is also a minister.

The news came as Ms Lavallais' grandfather, Maurice Williams, of North Shore Road, Pembroke, revealed the murder suspect had visited Bermuda with his daughter Veronica, born Cox.

He said: "I remember her being here a couple of years ago, although I don't remember her name.

"It's so very sad -- I've been torn apart by this. The coroner in Denver said it was the one of the most brutal murders she had seen.'' But he added: "It's a relief somebody has been arrested so quickly -- that helps to relieve the situation.'' Det. Wyckoff added: "We don't have any idea what the motive was -- from every report we have, Ms Lavallais was a really nice person and people here are astounded that something like this could happen.'' And he said: "It is particularly shocking because Denver is not a violent city -- at least no more violent that anywhere else these days.'' The arrest came as pathologists carried out an autopsy on the body of Ms Lavaillais, who had just received Bermudian status through her Island-born mother Valeria Vermont, born Cox.

She was murdered after agreeing to look after the teenage delinquent daughter of the female minister of the church Ms Lavaillais and her mother attended.

Det. Wyckoff said that it is believed Ms Lavallais went to the girl's home on Friday night as arranged and was shot dead sometime between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Teen set to be charged with murder He added city Police were informed on Saturday morning and the 16-year-old girl -- who was under house arrest and electronically tagged -- was arrested at her home in the Montbello area of Denver later that day.

Mr. Williams told The Royal Gazette on Monday that his grand-daughter had "fallen in love'' with Bermuda and planned to make her home on the Island next month.

Ms Lavallais visited Bermuda last year and acquired status through her mother.

She worked in Hamilton Front Street jewellers Crisson's for several months and had an apartment in the Happy Valley Road area.

Yesterday, residents in the Montbello area of Denver, where the victim and her suspected killer lived, were stunned by the slaying. And the First Christian Assembly of God -- where Rev. Vermont is associate pastor -- held two services to pray for both families involved in the horror shooting.

John V. Smith, president of the Montbello neighbourhood association Northeast Neighbors Inc., said: "This weekend's events show that if something as tragic as this can hit the home of a minister, it can hit anywhere.

And the grandfather of Tombs said: "We are grieving with the Vermont family.

We want justice as soon as we can have it. She was a lovely young woman.'' The murder house was yesterday struck by vandals, with a window being smashed and bushes set alight. Another home in the area was also hit.

The reason behind the attacks is being probed, according to Denver Police.