Murder charge dropped against one of two defendants

It was supposed to be a routine court date and adjournment for two men charged with murder. But one of the defendants, Roland Smalls, received a surprise gift: his freedom. The news came from the prosecutor who, on instructions from the D.P.P., asked that the murder charge against Smalls be dismissed. With Smalls now a free man, only Michael Young is left to be tried for last month’s murder of taxi driver Rodrick Todd. Todd’s body was found off the Western Highway on the outskirts of Belize City. He had been shot to death. Reports indicate that on leaving the courtroom today, Smalls was involved in a confrontation with a man identified as a brother of the murder victim.