Lusby Martinez Acquitted of 2009 Murder

LUSBY MARTINEZ

When we closed our newscast on Friday, a jury was still deliberating in the murder trial of Lusby Martinez who was facing charges for the grenade attack in which fourteen year old Rudolph Flowers was killed. Just before eight, the jury concluded its deliberations finding Martinez not guilty of murder after spending years behind bars for the murder which occurred on December twenty-eighth, 2009 at the corner of Kraal Road and Haynes Street, Belize City. In trial, a number of witnesses testified and even though, Peter Myvette, the main witness who had given three statements, was killed years ago, his statements were ruled admissible. Still yet they were not enough to secure a murder verdict. After the ruling, Simeon Sampson, attorney for Martinez, says that there was no evidence to tie Martinez to the crime scene.

Simeon Sampson, Attorney for Lusby Martinez

Simeon Sampson

“On the twenty-eight of December, 2009 at about seven o’clock, a hand grenade was thrown in yard at the corner of Haynes Street and Kraal Road. The grenade exploded and as a result two persons were injured and one was fatally killed. The following morning Peter Myvette was arrested on suspicion, he gave a statement implicating this client, Martinez and he was arrested the next day and subsequently charged for this murder. Peter Myvette who did the initial revelation was not charged at all. Martinez was charged for the five years four months fifteen days now and the jury has just returned a verdict of not guilty against him. The only evidence was the statement given against him by Peter Myvette who died about three months after the incident; there were no other evidence at all, at all, at all. Outside the statement of this dead witness, there was no forensic evidence to connect Lusby Martinez to the scene, there was no evidence linking Martinez so all we had was the evidence of an absent person and the judge was very meticulous in giving strict instructions to the jury in the circumstances like these. This boy was supposed to be tried last April but unfortunately Mr. Lucas fell ill and I would not like to comment any further because the judge mentioned that it was unfortunate that he got ill last year and Lusby Martinez to that extent was deprived of trial thirteen months earlier.”