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Calaney Gets Off Alleged Murder of Ex
posted (March 24, 2017)
Trial without jury cases have been making the news all this week, and tonight, there is another high profile one coming out of the Supreme Court.

Back in August of 2012, it made headlines news when Belize City resident Calaney Flowers was charged with murder and attempted murder for allegedly knocking down and killing her baby's father. He was 29 year-old Lyndon Morrison, and he was riding his signature Suzuki motorcycle with his new girlfriend, Sochyl Sosa. The couple were traveling on Freetown Road, when Flowers ran into them in her car. Morrisson died from his injuries, while Sosa was badly injured.

Flowers stood trial without jury last year June, where the prosecution showed evidence that she intentionally ran into them, and caused the accident which killed Morrison and caused severe injuries to Sosa. After 9 month wait for the judgment, Justice Troadio Gonzalez finally delivered his verdict today. He acquitted her of murder for Morrison's death, and attempted murder for Sosa's injuries.

7News was there for the very controversial outcome of the case, and Daniel Ortiz has that story:

Daniel Ortiz reporting

Calaney Flowers walked up the steps of the Supreme Court for the very last time this afternoon with the charges of murder and attempted murder weighing her down.

It had been a 9-month wait for Justice Troadio Gonzalez to come to a decision, and today, he announced that he did not think that Flowers intentionally knocked down and killed Lyndon Morrison in that traffic collision which left girlfriend, Sochyl Sosa, severely injured in the process.

Obviously aggrieved by the judge's verdict, the Morrison family walked out of court disappointed, the tears and pain visible.

Colin Morrison - Brother of Deceased
"Well we had definitely, because you have to try and prepare, that's the only thing you can do, but we had discuss 2 ways; either the murder or manslaughter, but we definitely wasn't prepared for a case being thrown out. Definitely wasn't prepared for this. It ripped out the heart of my mother. I mean I couldn't imagine losing my child, much less anything else. At one point my brother was like my son when my mother was away studying. I took care of them for about 2-3 years. So for me it's horrific."

So, even though the family firmly believes that she is guilty, her attorney says that the judge had to look at the evidence before him to determine that conclusion objectively.

Richard "Dickie" Bradley - Attorney for Calaney Flowers
"We went to a full trial. Calaney gave her side of the story and also a security guard who work at one of the banks in the vicinity of the accident or the incident, also testified on behalf of the defense. So this afternoon in effect the judge has said that he had carefully gone over the evidence. He could find no evidence, he could find nothing to confirm with the legal ingredient of the crime of murder. Murder means you must have the intention to kill at some stage. He could find nothing at all in the evidence that it was Calaney Flowers who actually form that intention and executed it."

Sochyl Sosa, seen here consoling Lyndon Morrison's mom, testified in the trial on behalf of the prosecution, and with a first-hand account, she told the court what happened. Back in August of 2012, she granted an interview to the press, explaining it from her perspective:

File: August 30, 2012
Sochyl Sosa, victim

"At the round-about, we had to stop at the speed bump there. When we stop there she crash into us. I was frightened, I told him to stop that this girl will kill us, please stop. He says babe I can't stop, I am speeding right now but we had to stop because of the bump. After we stop she hit us and that was when everything happens. After that I don't remember anything."

The attorneys for Calaney Flowers cross examined her in the trial, and Dickie Bradley told us today that she made disclosures which were favorable to the defense's case:

Richard "Dickie"Bradley
"Out of the mouth of their witnesses we were able in cross examination to have the sole survivor the young lady who was on the motorcycle at the back admit to us that she had said and there is written proof of it - she had said that when she told Mr. Morrison that Calaney Flowers was at the back coming over the first speed bump at the flag monument, that he said "babes I am in a high speed, I can't stop.""

He also focused on other parts of the evidence for which there was doubt:

Richard "Dickie" Bradley
"The other scientific evidence I want to tell you because I know that there are family members who are hurt, this is one of the many photograph of the vehicle. This is not the clearest one, because the others are with the court. The photograph of the vehicle after the accident from the left side, from the right side, from the front shows that the bonnet is unchanged - that not even the glass on any side of the vehicle were broken. There is no dent, no tire marks, no nothing on the front of that vehicle. So it cannot be true (its a scientific matter) that a small car like this can slam into a ninja motorcycle with such force to send the two persons flying many feet in the air and there is not a single telltale trace."

Colin Morrison - Brother of Deceased
"The judge actually agreed that the evidence that that was the car that killed my brother and hit Sochy. So we had expected at least if he had come to that conclusion, maybe a manslaughter charge. But he juts dismiss the case and said that 'Oh he know cases like these will definitely go to appeal.' So it's very disappointed."

"It's been about 4.5 years or more now and basically we have move two steps forward, but most times we move back one step. So I guess that where we at right now."

So, for Calaney Flowers, she get to go home after 4 years and 7 months in jail. But, for the family of the man she was accused of killing, forgiveness may never come.

Reporter
"As a sibling, have you considered forgiveness? Where have you been in terms of that emotional space to look at Miss Calaney Flowers now that she is a free woman?"

Colin Morrison
"My only answer for that is that is between she and God."

It is notable that the judge did not consider manslaughter which is the usual alternative to a murder charge. He did acknowledge in court that his decision could be appealed, and we've confirmed with DPP Cheryl-Lynn Vidal that her office intends to do exactly that. So, it is only be a matter of time before the appeal of this case is filed at the Court of Appeal.

Also of note is that this is one of those very last cases that Justice Troadio Gonzalez had before him before he goes on retirement.

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