Vybz Kartel Found Guilty of Murder

Dancehall artist Vybz Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, was convicted of being behind the murder of Clive 'Lizard' Williams. The eleven-member jury decided the verdict in a crippling 10-1 decision naming all the men involved at fault in the brutal beating of Williams in August 2011.

The eleven-member jury began deliberating at 3:45 p.m. Initially, the eleven-member jury deliberated for 1 hour and 53 minutes before returning a 10-1 verdict. They were sent back to reconsider because the verdict was not unanimous and was reached under two hours. The jurors then went back to consider the matter before again returning to the courtroom. Adidja Palmer – GUILTY Shawn Campbell – GUILTY Kahira Jones – GUILTY Shane Williams – Not GUILTY Andre St John – GUILTY Kartel, 38, whose real name is Adidja Palmer and his co-accused went on trial on November 20 in the Home Circuit Court. They had been in custody since September 2011.

The Crown represented by senior deputy director of public prosecutions, Jeremy Taylor, and Crown Counsel Leighton Morris alleged that on August 16, 2011 ‘Lizard’ was beaten to death at Kartel's house at 7 Swallowfield Avenue, Havendale, St Andrew over two missing guns. Those found guilty are to return to court for sentencing on March 27. Kartel and five other men had been charged with William’s murder, but at the start of the trial in November last year, the fifth co-accused, fashion designer, Calvin Haye, was freed after the Crown offered no evidence against him.