Vybz Kartel, the Jamaican dancehall artist whose real name is Adidja Palmer, was released from prison after his murder conviction was dismissed. The now 48-year-old had been behind bars serving a life sentence since his conviction in 2014 but UK judges reversed this ruling in March, which led to his release.
He had been accused of murdering Clive “Lizard” Williams, who had gone missing in 2011 after he was allegedly summoned to Kartel’s house. The trial found Kartel had provided Williams and another man, Lamar Chow, with unlicensed firearms, then called them back to his house when they failed to return the firearms on time. It was the last time Williams was seen alive. His body was never found and a few days later the house from which he had vanished was destroyed by fire.
Throughout the case at the trial and, in fact, during the appeals, Kartel and his co-accused, Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St John, maintained their innocence. They were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, with Kartel to serve a minimum of 35 years.
The Privy Council in London, the highest court of appeal for Jamaica and other Commonwealth countries, held that a juror accused of trying to bribe fellow jurors should have been removed from the case, as argued by Mr. Kartel’s defense. The Court ruled that the failure to remove the juror compromised the fairness of the trial, rendering the conviction unsafe.
On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal, led by Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, decided there would not be a retrial. The judges did so considering that it was a very grievous offense, the length of time which had passed, unavailability of witnesses, cost of a new trial. They also raised a major point: Kartel’s failing health. She further opined that justice does not require the quashing of Kartel’s conviction and his co-defendants, thus discharging them formally.
That verdict was a story of huge interest in Jamaica, with hundreds of police officers outside the courthouse in Kingston. Seani B, host of 1Xtra’s Dancehall Show, said it was a “mammoth” day for Jamaica and the dancehall world. His freedom is likely to make a big difference to the scene, given that Kartel is considered among the biggest acts in Jamaica. The fans, especially of the newer generation who have been yearning for his resurgence into the music scene, are all looking out for him.
On one hand, Kartel’s release will be a big moment in Jamaican and dancehall history; on the other, it brought back the remembrance of the unresolved case of Clive Williams and how this decision is going to affect his family.
