Vybz Kartel is finally a free man months after he and three others got their murder convictions overturned.
The beloved Dancehall artist walked out of the Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre in downtown Kingston on Wednesday afternoon, July 31. Kartel, born Adidja Palmer, and his co-defendants Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Andre St John, and Kahira Jones spent the past decade behind bars after they were convicted for the 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams. After they were sentenced to life in prison in 2014, attorneys for the four men filed an appeal six years later.
According to the Jamaican Observer, Kartel's appeal to a local Court of Appeal was denied in 2020 and his conviction was upheld. However, his legal team persisted and took the case to the United Kingdom's Privy Council. Back in March, the Privy Council overturned the convictions of Kartel and the other three men due to juror misconduct.
Before they could go free, the Court of Appeal had to rule on whether or not the men should face a retrial. The prosecution argued that all four men should be tried again and claimed they would receive a fair trial. However, the defense asserted the defendants wouldn't get a speedy trial due to the legal system and argued the jury pool would be tainted due to the publicity surrounding the case. They also cited Kartel's health issues and the overall legal ordeal all four men have been through.
The Court of Appeal ultimately decided not to put them through a retrial and released them earlier today. Kartel, Campbell, and St John walked out of prison shortly afterward. Jones will remain in custody due to a previous sentence from an unrelated case.