BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – ADIDJA PALMER, popularly known as Vybz Kartel, Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St. John were all found guilty for the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams this afternoon (Mar. 13) by an 11-member jury in the Home Circuit Court, Jamaica.
According to the Jamaican Gleaner, the dancehall entertainer and three of his co-accused were all found guilty of the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams marking the end to a keenly watched trial that has lasted for 65 days.
“The eleven-member jury began deliberating at 3:45 p.m. and continued for one hour and 53 minutes before returning a 10-1 verdict,” the Gleaner reported.
It was also reported that they were then sent back to reconsider because the verdict was not unanimous and was reached under two hours. They then went back to consider the matter before again returning to the courtroom.
Of the other convicted men, Shane Williams was acquitted of the murder charge.
Meanwhile, an Associated Press article written by David McFadden stated that a male juror was arrested this evening on charges of attempting to bribe the jury foreman in an attempt to influence the panel to free Kartel, who is known for innovative, but often violent, X-rated lyrics.
According to the prosecutors, in August 2011, Williams was beaten to death at Kartel’s home after being lured there to answer for two missing illegal guns.
His body was never found.
Police testified that they had retrieved a text message from Kartel's phone, which said Williams was chopped up in a "mincemeat" so fine that his remains would never be found.
The convicted men are to be sentenced on Thursday, March 27, but Kartel’s lawyer, Tom Tavares-Finson had however indicated that he was planning to appeal.
He reportedly told the jurors that the prosecution’s case against his client “dishonest” and “incompetent”, noting that the statements from witnesses and a compact disc with evidence on it had somehow went missing.
This is not the first time Kartel has been rapped with a murder charge.
Last year, the 36-year-old dancehall artiste and two other co-accused were set free after prosecutors failed to produce evidence to support allegations that they had killed a businessman, Barrington ‘Bossy’ Burton, in 2011.
