Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2011 murder of Clive Lizard Williams.
Police in the case testified they retrieved a text message from Vybz Kartel‘s phone saying Clive Lizard Williams was chopped up in mincemeat so fine that his remains would never be found.
Judge Lennox Campbell stated that Vybz Kartel must serve thirty five years behind bars after a jury convicted the thirty eight year old rapper along wityh three co-defendants, Shawn Shawn Storm Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St John, for killing Clive Lizard Williams, who was beaten to death in August 2011 after being lured to Vybz Kartel‘s house to answer for two missing guns. However Clive Lizard Williams body has never been found.
According to the final judgment, Vybz Kartel will not be eligible for parole until he is reaches the age of seventy three. The trial lasted for sixty five days, the longest in Jamaica’s history.
In 2012, another murder case against Vybz Kartel and two other co-defendants collapsed after prosecutors failed to produce evidence to support allegations that the trio killed businessman Barrington Bossy Burton in 2011.
Defence lawyer Tom Tavares-Finson said he is expected to file an appeal on behalf of Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer.
Vybz Kartel has been in remand since 2011 but has continued to record songs from his prison cell using his smart phone. His music continues to be in high demand in Jamaica.
Over the years, he has collaborated with international artists including Jay-Z, Rihanna and Busta Rhymes. Busta Rhymes travelled to Jamaica to attend the last day of Vybz Kartel‘s trial as a show of support.
Fans gathered outside the courthouse during Vybz Kartel‘s sentencing. Some let out distressed yells after hearing Kartel was destined to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Many of them took on to twitter to express their displeasure and also took to the social media site to share their thoughts over the jury’s decision.
