Men found Not Guilty of Lusignan killings

Men found Not Guilty of Lusignan killings

A mixed jury on Friday night returned a Not Guilty verdict for the two men charged with the murder of 11 persons at Lusignan in 2008.

The Prosecution appeared shocked with the verdict and immediately indicated the State’s intention to appeal the verdict that would make the two men, James Anthony Hyles, known as ‘Sally’ and Mark Royden Williams, called ‘Smallie’, free men.

Following the Prosecution’s announcement, Defense attorney Nigel Hughes asked the court to grant bail, pointing to length of time that the men were in custody and the long period it took for the Director of Public Prosecutions to move with an indictment in the case initially. The Judge Navindra Singh granted bail in the sum of $1.1 Million for James Hyles. The other defendant would have to remain in jail because he has other pending matters in the court.

The two men were arrested and charged in 2008 following the January 2008 Lusignan massacre in which 11 persons including children were shot to death in their homes during a murderous rampage by several gunmen. The Police had stated that the criminal gang that carried out the Lusignan killings was led by Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins who was gunned down eventually during a stand off with the police.

The gunmen used high powered AK-47 assault rifles to blast the victims to death. Many of the victims were in their homes asleep when the carnage began.

There have always been conflicting eyewitness reports about who may have carried out the killings. Eyewitnesses provided various descriptions of the men believed to have been involved.

(Photo by Kaieteur News)

Filed 3rd August 2013

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