7 News Belize

Accused Killer Acquitted; Family Cries Out For Justice
posted (April 23, 2013)
Tonight, 21 year-old Tristan Gordon, the man who was charged with the murder of 28 year-old Kenyon Plunkett, is free after he was acquitted in the court room of Justice Adolph Lucas this morning.

Viewers may remember the broad daylight execution of Plunkett on April 28, 2011. The father of the 3 was standing in front of his worksite on Lakeview Street at around 11:30 a.m. He was talking to his boss when a gunman ambushed him and shot him in the back of his head and fled the scene. He was rushed the KHMH but died while undergoing treatment.

A month later, police charged Gordon, who was only 19 at the time, and last week, he had his day in court in front of Justice Lucas in a trial without jury.

The prosecution's main witness was a man who told police that he accompanied Gordon on the day when he allegedly committed the murder. This witness gave a written statement in which he said that Gordon showed him a firearm, and told him that he was going to attempt to hurt "a dread that disrespected him." He added that he saw when Gordon shoot the "dread man" in the back of his head.

But when that same witness took the stand in the trial, he refused to cooperate with Crown Counsel Kayshia Grant, and did not accept that he gave a statement to police, even though the statement its contents were both shown and read to him. This forced Grant to apply to the court to treat him as a hostile witness, and she also applied for the statement to be admitted as evidence against Gordon. Justice Lucas granted both applications, but Grant was unable to get any useful information out of the witness.

After considering all the facts before him as judge of the law and jury of the facts, Justice Lucas handed down his verdict in which acquitted Gordon, even though he accepted that Grant did her best to prove the case.

According to Justice Lucas, due to the principles of law, he could not come to a guilty verdict against Gordon because he was not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt. He also commented that this main witness was self-serving because the possibility existed that police could bring criminal charges against him, so he didn't want to give damning evidence against Gordon.

So, with that, almost 2 years after being remanded, Gordon was allowed to walk out of court a free man. The family of the victim is outraged at the turn of events and this afternoon, they told Monica Bodden that they find the acquittal incomprehensible.

Romie Plunkett, Sister– Sister of Kenyon Plunkett
"They rode around the corner of Banak street and they saw my brother coming on his bicycle and they lay-waited him. As he got by the spot they shot him from behind. When the guy was finished he took off his shirt and threw it in the garbage. He rode away and went to tell the other one's aunt that he had just shot a man and he was not sure if the man was dead. The other guy's aunt told him to leave because she didn't want police to go around there. What more evidence do they want? That puts him on the spot and we have not gotten justice. That means that you can kill anyone in broad daylight and anyone can see you. In the statement he said 'the day was clear and bright and there wasn't anything obstructing my view.' Nothing was in his way for him to see that this guy was killing this person. Come on! That is strong evidence. You will acquit someone with murder and you have strong evidence against them? That doesn't make any sense."


Monica Bodden
"The outcome of the case of your brother; does it shake your faith in the justice system?"

Romie Plunkett
"I don't think there is any law in Belize. The justice system in Belize is really slack. They really need to get down on them because I could be walking on the street and somebody could shoot me and everyone can see and nothing will come out of it. It doesn't make any sense. He gave us hope that he was going to convict this guy from the mere fact that he was going to accept the statement as an evidence. I would have never believed that this morning he would have said that this young man would have been acquitted of murder."

Therese Plunkett –Mother of Kenyon Plunkett
"I didn't like the feeling this morning and I was feeling really down. From I entered the court I felt very nervous. I wasn't happy to let go because only his friend could have shown evidence. The judge is basing on information of when he was killed. Who picked him up? For who did the bicycle and slippers belonged to? I explained to them that they didn't want to talk because they went and threatened the witness that is why there wasn't any witness on the case. The girl was afraid of them. I am not happy at all."

Monica Bodden
"This man that gave the statement, he accompanied the accused killer right?"

Therese Plunkett
"Yes he was accused. What the judge said is that they should have charged them jointly with him because it was two of them that were on the move. According to Carl Chaplin he was the one that rode him to the spot. My son isn't a bad boy. He's a hardworking 16 year old."

Monica Bodden
"The outcome of your son's case; this man who was accused of killing; he is now a free man. Do you have any faith in our justice system?"

Therese Plunkett
"No! I don't have any faith in it, because when you're wrong then you're wrong. My kids were brought up the right way by my family and myself. It really hurts me."

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