La Horquetta man freed of 2016 murder

News Jada Loutoo 32 Minutes Ago

- File photo

After a little over eight years in prison for a 2016 murder, a La Horquetta man has been freed by a jury directed to return a not-guilty verdict in his favour.

Arnold Mayers was before Justice Mauricia Joseph and a jury at the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain, charged with the murder of his La Horquetta neighbour Salim Gonzales.

Gonzales, 19, of Phase 6, La Horquetta, was shot in the eye while in the company of a friend at Irwin Mc Williams Street, Phase 6, La Horquetta. He died at the scene.

His acquittal came after prosecutors offered no further evidence against him on the murder charge on October 21. The judge then directed the jury to return a not-guilty verdict.

Mayers was not immediately discharged, as he still has pending charges of firearm and ammunition possession linked to the alleged 2016 incident.

He returns to court on October 24 on those charges. At the trial, jurors heard evidence from police witnesses, including an officer who allegedly showed the accused a video recording of the shooter. However, it was only under cross-examination that the officer admitted he only then noticed the shooter wore a mask, despite evidence from eye-witnesses allegedly identifying Mayers. One of those witnesses later recanted his statement in an affidavit, saying he was forced to identify Mayers but did not see the shooter’s face.

Attorneys Larry Williams and Toni Roberts represented Mayers.