Javan Moody Acquitted After 5 Years in Prison

After five years on remand, 28-year-old Javan Moody is a free man. The Belizean was acquitted on Thursday in the Belmopan High Court of the 2020 murder of 31-year-old American national Arianna Jones, who was found stabbed in her San Ignacio apartment. Moody had been charged with her killing, allegedly committed during a confrontation with Jones, his former partner. But in a trial without jury, Justice Francis Cumberbatch ruled that the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Moody was the one who killed her. The case hinged largely on a single piece of evidence, a blood droplet reportedly found in Moody’s ear, which the Crown claimed matched Jones’s DNA. However, DNA analysis revealed a mixture of profiles, undermining the strength of the prosecution’s case. Cumberbatch further cited inconsistencies and gaps in the forensic evidence.  Moody, who maintained his innocence throughout the trial, had claimed he arrived at Jones’ apartment to find her already dead. The judge found this defense plausible in light of the inconclusive evidence.