An arrest was made in the Virgin Islands murder of a man from New Jersey.

The body of Jimmy Malfetti, 41, was found inside a rented guest house on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands back in January 2014. He had been stabbed to death during an apparent robbery.

Mekel Blash, 27, has been arrested in connection with the death. He has been charged with first-degree murder.

Malfetti's parents, Jim and Rosemary Malfetti, of Scotch Plains, originally feared local police were mishandling the investigation. The couple turned to the media and Sen. Robert Menendez in hope that the FBI would get involved.