Jamaican dancehall legend Vybz Kartel freed from prison after 13 years behind bars

1 August, 2024

Vybz Kartel

Vybz Kartel has been freed from prison after spending 13 years behind bars.

Yesterday (July 31), a Jamaican court of appeals declined to retry Kartel after an appeal to overturn his conviction, which saw him sentenced to life for murder, was successful in March. This resulted in a freed Kartel – real name Adidja Palmer – who had spent a decade in prison for the death of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.

The musician and former reality TV star stood trial in 2014 for the August 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams. The killing was the result of a row over two missing guns. Prosecutors had said Williams was beaten to death after being lured to Kartel’s to account for the whereabouts of the firearms.

Palmer’s associates Shawn Campbell (aka Shawn Storm), Kahira Jones and Andre St John were also found guilty. A fourth man, Shane Williams, received the sole non-guilty verdict. The trial became one of the longest in Jamaica’s history after it ran for 64 days. Palmer was ordered to serve a minimum of 35 years in jail, although this was later reduced to 32-and-a-half years.

Per Jamaica Gleaner, fans of Palmer were seen celebrating outside the Kingston courthouse after the verdict was delivered.

On his X (formerly Twitter) account, Palmer shared a video of himself and his wife Sidem Öztürk celebrating his release.

During the 2014 trial, one of the jurors allegedly tried to offer bribes to others on the panel. After this came to light, the alleged briber was not dismissed from the case. During his appeals process, the potential juror misconduct became the focal point of Palmer’s argument for his release. Palmer shared an article reporting his release, tweeting “What I tell you?”.

Before his conviction in 2014, Palmer had worked with huge names across the pop and hip-hop scene, including the likes of Rihanna, Pharrell Williams, and Jay-Z. He has continued to release new music while incarcerated. His latest, the album ‘Party With Me’, was released last June.

Since news of his release reached the rest of the world, fans shared their excitement over seeing him live again. Rapper Based Savage joked: “I just know Drake already on the phone wit Vybz Kartel’s manager.”

 

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