Tonight, 33 year-old Matthew Gentle, 32 year-old Transito "Ricky" Tzul, and 26 year-old Sherlock Myvett are back in jail after being convicted of the murder of 82 year-old taxi driver James Neal aka James Young or "Mr. Jimmy". The jury of 12 returned guilty verdicts for all 3 men after deliberating for 4 hours and 16 minutes.
Back on July 28, 2009, "Mr. Jimmy" was was abducted from his taxi stand in Belmopan, and he was stuffed into the back of his gold Geo Prism car. He was then taken to Pook's Hill Resort Road in Teakettle, where he was stabbed 37 times. His body was found some 3 days later, decomposing on the side of the road, covered by cohune leaves.
So, almost 8 years later, the 3 men, Gentle, Tzul and Myvette, who are accused of committing this heinous murder, stood trial before Justice Antoinette Moore.
The Crown Counsels Sheneiza Smith, Kileru Awich, and Rene Montero, relied on their main evidence against the men, a caution statement which was given to police. The person who gave them the statement was Leon Gentle, cousin of one of the accused, Matthew Gentle. In that written statement, he told police that all 3 men were in Mr. Jimmy's car, and that it was his cousin Matthew and Transito Tzul who stabbed the old man to death.
The prosecution called him to testify, but when he took the witness stand, he denied giving police the confession statement, and he even disclaimed that the signature on it was his. He had to be treated as a hostile witness, but the written statement was still admitted into evidence against the men. The prosecution also relied on circumstantial evidence, given by other witnesses who were able to link the 3 men to Mr. Jimmy's car, which was recovered across the border in Guatemala. As for Matthew Gentle, the prosecution relied on a statement he gave to police in which he denied committing the crime, but put himself at the border.
In their defense, all 3 men gave dock statements denying that they committed the murder. But, while they denied it today, our archives say that on August 6, 2009 Matthew Gentle admitted to our Keith Swift that he was there when Mr. Jimmy was killed. It's a remarkable and rare interview where a man admits to being involved in a murder. Here's an excerpt of that story from 2009:
Belmopan Police say that the mastermind was this man: 25 year old Mathew Gentle from Esperanza Village. He was charged with murder but this morning he admitted to me that while he was involved in the murder, he didn't kill Mr. Jimmy.
Mathew Gentle, Charged for Murder of Mr. Jimmy
"Big man right now right, I was involved in it but I can't say if me did it check but I tell lot more will dead because those bally, they done chance me before already check. The man's same family, they have already beat me up and bust me up."
Keith Swift
"But you participated in the murder of an 82 year old man."
Mathew Gentle
"I just di say I was a part of it but I won't say who killed the man. I can't say who killed the man because it wasn't me that killed the man."
Mathew Gentle was joined by his cousin Leon Gentle, also from Esperanza Village. Seen here in the black t-shirt, Leon was charged for failure to prevent a felony. This morning he was angry and defiant.
Leon Gentle, Charged for failure to prevent felony
"Buckshot, I soon come for you."
Again, in court, Matthew Gentle denied giving police that statement, but as you just saw, he had also - very voluntarily - given an unofficial version to our reporter. The court ended up accepting the sworn statement he gave police - which may have proved to be the lynchpin in the trial.
When the jury returned this afternoon, they returned a unanimous guilty verdict for all 3 men. They will be sentenced on March 23, in the Belmopan Supreme Court.
The attorneys for the defendants were Sheena Pits, Tricia Pitts-Anderson, Peta-Gaye Bradley, and Baja Shoman.
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