Cases thrown out in two high profile murders

Police were not the only law enforcement officials who were frustrated last week. Prosecutors were red faced as defendants in two high profile murder cases were freed for lack of evidence. On Friday Eric Savery and Gregory Goff were released after twelve months on remand. They had been arrested for the killing of moneylender Winston Burgess on Albert Street near St. John’s Cathedral on October twelfth of last year. Two men, one dressed in a Halloween mask, approached Burgess and shot him, killing him instantly. A week later, Savery and Goff were arrested for the crime. Although at the time police told the media they had a strong case, Chief Magistrate Herbert Lord has now found otherwise. Lord also determined that the evidence was insufficient in the case of Marlon Budd. Budd had been arrested and charged in January of this year for the murder of Oscar Perez. Perez was in the company of his wife and brother when they were chased by several persons on Cemetery Road. As Perez reached the Salvation Army Primary School, he was shot in the head. Budd became the prime suspect in the case and surrendered himself to police. But since that time it appears that the police and prosecutors have been unable to gather the evidence needed for a conviction and on Wednesday Lord made Budd a free man. News Five was unable to reach anyone in the DPP’s office for comment.