The ruling comes a decade after Kartel was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams.
Exactly a decade After Jamaican dance star Vybz Kartel was found guilty of murder in the killing of Clive “Lizard” Williams, the musician's conviction was overturned on Thursday, according to a report. from Reuters.
Kartel, whose real name is Antija Palmer, appealed his conviction to the Privy Council in London last month, arguing that attempts to bribe jurors at the trial tainted the case. With the successful appeal, officials in Jamaica will decide whether Cartel will be tried again.
Immediately following the decision, Kartel shared several celebratory posts on Instagram, captioned “Winner!!!”
The original trial against Kartel and three co-defendants lasted just over two months before the four men were sentenced on March 14, 2014. Prosecutors argued that Williams was killed because he was unaware of weapons and that Kartel had lured Williams to his home before Williams he was beaten to death. Williams' body was never found. As the New York Times mentionted at the time of the sentencing, Jamaican police testified that they saw a message on Kartel's phone saying that Williams' body had been turned into “minced meat.”
Kartel was one of the biggest artists in Jamaica at the time of his conviction and has collaborated with artists such as Rihanna, Missy Elliot, Busta Rhymes and Pitbull among others. He continued to release music while behind bars, including the 2016 single “Fever,” which was later certified gold by the RIAA in 2020.
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