Vybz Kartel free: Dancehall star to be released after years behind bars
NEW YORK - The Jamaica Court of Appeal ordered Vybz Kartel and his three codefendants to be freed after the ailing dancehall star spent years behind bars.
In a unanimous decision Wednesday, the court decided against a retrial in the murder of Clive "Lizard" Williams, whose body was never found.
The stunning decision means that Vybz Kartel, Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones, and Andre St. John will be released after years behind bars.
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Where is Vybz Kartel? Dancehall star seen leaving Jamaican prison alongside girlfriend
Kartel was seen leaving Tower Street Adult Correctional Facility, wearing all white with an orange bandanna around his head and face alongside his fiancée.
"We conclude that the interest of justice does not require a new trial to be ordered," the court read.
The court said Wednesday, that there was sufficient evidence to suggest that Kartel would not be able to complete a potentially longer sentence if there were to be a retrial.
The court cited the "psychological and financial effects that it would have on the appellants," referring to Kartel's health.
Vybz Kartel during HOT 97's "On The Reggae Tip" Live - September 2, 2005 at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, New York. (Photo by John Ricard/FilmMagic)
His defense has cited the severe lockdown conditions he's been in since 2011. They have described his holding as a brick cell with no air circulation, no water, and a bucket for a toilet.
"His neck was swollen, if you think of a shirt that is about 18.5 inches in the neck area, you couldn't close the collar on his neck and that's how bad it is in this moment," his defense described to FOX 5. "His face is actually swollen. And one other thing. He always wears glasses; in this condition, that causes his eyes to protrude."
In 2023, a sworn medical affidavit from Kartel's private doctor notified authorities that his Graves' Disease and heart condition were getting worse, and that if he did not get surgery soon, it could be fatal.
The report obtained exclusively by FOX 5 NY detailed his battle with thyroid disease.
Why was Vybz Kartel in prison?
Vybz Kartel, formally known as Adidja Palmer – and his three co-defendants have been behind bars in a Jamaican prison since their arrests in 2011, and subsequent 2014 conviction, for the murder of Clive "Lizard" Williams, whose body was never found.
The conviction came from a mostly circumstantial case based on video and phone records from his BlackBerry Torch and a discredited witness.
Throughout the years, he's proclaimed his innocence and fought to have the conviction thrown out.
Kartel's conviction was quashed this spring, and the British Privy Council gave the Jamaican court the chance to decide on a retrial or outright acquittal, meaning there would be no further prosecution.
For most of his time in prison, Kartel had reportedly been battling Graves' Disease under conditions his attorney says are "inhumane."
Lawyers representing the defendants made an appeal back in 2020, but the convictions were upheld.
The appeal was then pushed to the United Kingdom-based Privy Council, Jamaica's final court of appeal, in 2024, which overturned the convictions due to juror misconduct.
Despite the big win, their fight for freedom has hung in the balance. The Privy Council, in effect, kicked the case back to the Jamaican Court of Appeals to make the ultimate decision.
FOX 5 NY will continue to bring exclusive insight as the case moves towards conclusion. Check back for updates.