Murder case collapses as witness fails to appear in court

Anthony Lewis

Twenty-three year old Belize City resident, Anthony Lewis, who was on trial for the December 2010 murder of eighteen year old Leon Ebanks, today walked from court a free man. The case concluded in a nolle prosequi when police could not locate the main witness to testify against him. Within twenty minutes of walking into the Supreme Court shackled, Lewis walked out without cuffs and ran off to his home after over two and a half years on remand. It is the first nolle prosequi for some time now coming out of the D.P.P.’s office.  Lewis, at the age of twenty-one, was charged with the 2010 Christmas Day murder of Ebanks, a Hattieville resident, who was fatally stabbed to the heart and died on the spot. But newly appointed crown counsel for the D.P.P.’s office, Leeroy Banner, explained to Judge Troadio Gonzalez that despite several attempts to locate the main witness, it was to no avail and a nolle prosequi had to be entered. The main witness in Lewis’ case is Carlton Belisle, who was not located to testify at trial. The charge against Lewis could be brought back if Belisle is located and chooses to testify in the future.