Vybz Kartel: Dancehall icon freed from prison after 13 years behind bars
Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel is set to be released from prison following the overturning of his murder conviction, a court confirmed today.
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The 48-year-old artist, sentenced to life in 2014 after being arrested in 2011 for the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams—whose remains were never found—has been released after a successful appeal, ending his 13-year imprisonment.
Kartel, along with co-defendants Shawn 'Storm' Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St. John, will not face a new trial, as the Court of Appeal unanimously decided.
Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop stated, as reported by Fox 5: "We conclude that the interest of justice does not require a new trial to be ordered for the appellants."
She further remarked, according to Dancehall Mag: "We therefore make the following order: judgments and verdicts of acquittal are entered in relation to the appellants."
She added: "That is it. The appellants are free."
The appeal, heard in March by the Privy Council in London—Jamaica's highest court of appeal—argued that a juror accused of attempting to bribe others should have been removed from the trial.
Although the Privy Council overturned the convictions, it did not release the men, instead leaving the final decision to the Court of Appeal.
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Vybz Kartel, born Adidja Palmer, is one of Jamaica's most renowned musical figures and has worked with global stars like Rihanna and Jay-Z.
Kartel is also known for his 2009 collaboration with Major Lazer on "Pon De Floor," which was later sampled in Beyoncé's "Run the World (Girls)."
The 2014 trial, the longest in Jamaica's history at 64 days, resulted in life sentences for all the accused. St. John and Kartel were handed minimum sentences of 35 and 30 years, respectively, while Campbell and Jones received 25-year minimum sentences.
Throughout their imprisonment, Kartel and his co-defendants maintained their innocence.
Nicknamed Worl' Boss and Di Teacha, Kartel is credited with significantly influencing the dancehall genre and has continued to release music from prison.
In a Rolling Stone interview conducted via his lawyer five years after his incarceration, Kartel explained that he had a substantial backlog of songs and was not recording in jail.
"I’ve always been a prolific songwriter, and I record at breakneck speed as well, so I have a lot of surplus material to choose from," Kartel said.
"There is a recording studio at another correctional facility [in Jamaica] but none here … cellphones, laptops, or any Internet-capable instruments are prohibited items."
