Entertainer Vybz Kartel and co-accused freed

In this November 2012 file photo dancehall artiste Adidja “Vybz Kartel” Palmer is seen leaving the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston

Jamaica Observer: Entertainer Vybz Kartel and his co-accused were set free Wednesday after the Court of Appeal ruled against retrying them for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams.

The decision was made by a three-judge panel, including Justices Marva McDonald-Bishop, Paulette Williams, and David Fraser.

Before the ruling, an abbreviated summary was provided for the sole purpose of assisting members of the public with understanding the matter. The full judgment will be made available at www.courtofappeal.gov.jm

Vybz Kartel, real name Adidja Palmer; Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell; Kahira Jones; and Andre St John were convicted of the September 2011 murder of Williams.

Lawyers representing the quartet made an appeal to the local Court of Appeal in 2020, but their convictions were upheld.

The accused’s appeal was then taken to the United Kingdom-based Privy Council, and on March 14, 2024, their murder convictions were overturned on the grounds of juror misconduct.

The Privy Council also remitted the case back to the Jamaica Court of Appeal to decide whether there should be a retrial.