Vybz Kartel, the renowned Jamaican dancehall artist, is to be released from prison following the overturning of his murder conviction.
The 48-year-old artiste, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, was serving a life sentence handed down in 2014 for the 2011 murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams, whose body was never recovered.
The Court of Appeal announced its unanimous decision on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, to acquit Kartel and his co-accused: Shawn “Storm” Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St. John.
Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop stated, “We conclude that the interest of justice does not require a new trial to be ordered for the appellants.”
“We therefore make the following order: judgments and verdicts of acquittal are entered in relation to the appellants. That is it. The appellants are free.”
This ruling follows a successful appeal in March before the Privy Council in London, Jamaica’s highest court of appeal.
The appeal contended that a juror involved in the original trial had attempted to bribe others and should have been dismissed.
Although the Privy Council overturned the convictions, they deferred the decision to release the men to the Court of Appeal.
Kartel and his co-accused, who have always maintained their innocence, were arrested in 2011. Their 2014 trial, lasting 64 days, was the longest in Jamaican history.
Kartel and St. John were initially sentenced to a minimum of 35 and 30 years, respectively, while Campbell and Jones received minimum sentences of 25 years each.
Vybz Kartel remains one of the Caribbean’s most influential musical figures, having collaborated with international artists such as Rihanna and Jay-Z.
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