Attorney Dickie Bradley Questions Fairness of Elmer Nah Murder Conviction

Senior Attorney Dickie Bradley is raising concerns about the fairness of the recently concluded triple murder trial of former police corporal Elmer Nah.  With the trial now concluded, Bradley spoke out on two primary factors that should have played a role in the verdict of the trial.  Speaking during a call-in on this morning’s talk show, Bradley argued that the case remains controversial and suggested that there are aspects of the evidence which, in his view, warrant closer examination. He maintained that there is a possibility that Nah may have been wrongly convicted and questioned whether all available avenues were exhausted in testing the prosecution’s evidence before the matter was brought to a conclusion.

Dickie Bradley, Attorney: “I am one of the attorneys that read the disclosure and myself and three of my colleagues who also read it were off the view that on the basis of the evidence gathered by the investigator that there were two important issues for the trial. One, was the investigators quite rightly took what is called a gallery ID. They took pictures to the wounded victim at the hospital and the female who was shot an subsequently lost her life in this horrendous murder she is reported to have said words to the effect that pictures they’re showing her she said “Look like Nah.” If I look at, alright I’m looking at your picture right now I would say “That is Troy Gabb.” If I say “Bwai a picture looks like somebody.” It is a little different matter. The big issue is that the photograph from the camera picked up the coming to the yard, subsequently shooting the two persons in the yard and going into the house. The picture showing that person apparently limping on the way to the yard the killer is not wearing any mask, didn’t have on a baseball hat. The police did not enhance the photograph for the purposes of the court trial. Dr. Linden Jones he would have raised that issue that the photograph needs to be enhanced.”

Bradley’s comments are not entirely new. During earlier stages of the proceedings, he publicly argued that surveillance footage linked to the case should have undergone enhanced forensic analysis. At the time, Bradley contended that a detailed examination of the video evidence could have assisted in determining the true identity of the gunman and formed part of Nah’s efforts to challenge the allegations against him.  According to Bradley, more could have been done in enhancing the video footage as was being requested by Nah.

Dickie Bradley, Attorney: “So there are two issues. My understand that in the trial where Nah raised that issue that they need to enhance the picture because it’s not him. The court is alleged to have responded that it is not the duty of the court to be enhancing photos which is probably correct. But I want to share with you guys and with your listening public that the law is the section of the constitution which says that a person is entitled to be provided with facilities to assist him in his defense that is the constitutional requirement. So that in fact there is a great unfairness, deficiency in the trial and an injustice that a man who from day one, from day one is saying that is not me enhance the photograph and he didn’t do it. I will say that there is a case from the Caribbean Court of Justice. The Caribbean Court of Justice had a similar issue in regards to the need for dental information on a bite. A bit mark on a person. They turned down the conviction because there is a responsibility. So why am I calling you this morning and getting myself into a controversial matter? I’m not the lawyer why am I doing it ? Because we in Belize want to make sure, we the people the public, that whoever committed that totally revolting, disgusting, and unacceptable murder of three citizens they should actually hang the person. So we want to make sure that you have the guilty person. We must make sure that when you say a man is guilty he is guilty otherwise if what Mr.Nah is saying that it is not him and all the threats that were made and he decided to still call a name we are not going to say who …. We’re not going to get into that name calling business but we need to make sure that that murderer who did that is in fact the person that is being punished for it otherwise a serious assassin, murderer is out here in our community if it is not Nah.”

Nah was found guilty earlier this month and sentenced to three concurrent life sentences for the murders of Jon Ramnarace, David Ramnarace, and Vivian Ramnarace, along with an additional eighteen years for the attempted murder of Yemi Alberto. The court ordered that Nah must serve fifty years before becoming eligible to apply for parole.  The case stems from the December 31, 2022 killings on Belen Street in Belmopan. Prosecutors alleged that Nah carried out a deadly attack at the Ramnarace family residence, resulting in the deaths of Jon Ramnarace, his wife Vivian Ramnarace, and his brother David Ramnarace. A fourth victim, Yemi Alberto, survived despite sustaining gunshot injuries. Following a lengthy legal process, Justice Nigel Pilgrim found Nah guilty on all three counts of murder and the attempted murder charge.