Forensic Experts Provide Evidence in Pastor Llewellyn Lucas Murder Trial
In our continued coverage of one of the most heinous murders, we headed to the Belmopan Supreme Court where the notorious William “Danny” Mason and four other men are being tried for the beheading of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas. The pastor’s head was found in a bucket in the pan of a vehicle belonging to Mason; the vehicle was parked in the lot of a restaurant in Belmopan. Forensic witnesses gave expert advice during today’s session. News Five’s Hipolito Novelo has the following report.
Hipolito Novelo reporting
William Danny Mason, alleged mastermind in the beheading of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas casually makes his way back into the courtroom of Supreme Court Justice Antoinette Moore in Belmopan. He along with co-accused murderers, Terrence Fernandez, Ashton Vanegas, Keiron Fernandez, and Ernest Castillo returned to court for the murder trial which resumed at nine-thirty this morning. Today’s session was brief with two forensic witnesses giving expert evidence.
Norman Rodriguez, Attorney
“Basically it has to do with the forensic evidence that the D.P.P. will attempt to get admitted into this trial, two of them. It is just that it is forensics and we have done our crossed examinations. So it is now left to the judge of the facts and the law to make a decision on those parts that have been admitted into evidence.”
Reporter
“Sir at what point in time will these new items, exhibits be admitted into evidence?”
Norman Rodriguez
Norman Rodriguez
“Those that needed to be admitted have been admitted. The clothing and the cut outs from those clothings have been admitted.”
Reporter
“In terms of the swabs, the rag this morning- the rag from the Ford vehicle?”
Norman Rodriguez
“The D.P.P. or the Crown will make the application at their appropriate time and the judge will decide based on our cross examination or whatever we say or whatever we question when this is about the judge will make the decision because she is the judge of the law.”
The trial continues tomorrow when key witnesses are scheduled to provide evidence.
Llewellyn Lucas
Norman Rodriguez
“In relation to what evidence he will give tomorrow. It will be the first time that he is being called to answer to that evidence or provide the court with those evidence.”
Reporter
“Is he considered a natural witness because he is the one who did the autopsy?”
Norman Rodriguez
“He is the one who did the autopsy and the examination after the exhumation and so on.”
It was this month in 2016 that the butchered head of Pastor Lucas was found in Mason’s truck. Lucas’s torso was disposed of at Mason’s farm near mile thirty-two on the Western Highway. Three years later, the trial finally seems to be progressing without interruptions.
Norman Rodriguez
“Be reminded that I have said before that schedules are not something that we should hold the court to. I understand that the public wants to know certain but we are talking about a trial here and we are talking about justice and you can’t set a time limit on justice because all of the evidence has to be marshaled and the court has to make its decision.”
Today’s session provided Attorney Norman Rodriguez a new perspective. He says that expert evidence and analysis provided by the forensic professionals demonstrated their capacity to carry out their duties adequately. Their challenge, Rodriguez says is lack of equipment.
Norman Rodriguez
“It was so warming to see a local giving or doing that kind of analysis for the evidence. I mean we have had to send our DNA and order forensic evidence abroad to get analyzes and testing and so on. But seeing a local in that position, all I can say I have to ask the question, somebody please provide or finance the equipment so we can have our own locals doing everything here in Belize rather than sending it out. It does a lot but definitely it delays the process. We as a country we have been saying that we don’t have people with expertise to do certain things. Well I saw it happening in there. I believe that if we look in other areas of our society you will see that we have many professionals who are able to perform the roles that we see us having to send outside for foreigners to do for us. I have nothing against the foreigners because they do a very good job when they come to Belize too. I am saying that our people are trained, there is no questioned about that, provide the resources that they need so that they can start building our own country.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.
