24 year-old Jermaine Rhaburn, a former BDF volunteer, was acquitted of murder today in a trial without jury. He shot and killed his fellow volunteer, 21 year-old Clifford Cruz, at Militia Hall in Belize City, but in his trial, he told the judge that it was self-defense.
The incident happened on October 1, 2012, in the guard room at Militia Hall, located near the Lord Ridge Cemetery on the George Price Highway. Evidence in the trial indicated that Cruz was shot once in the chest with an M-16 rifle at close range. An eyewitness testified that Cruz choked Rhaburn until his eyes turned red. That's when Rhaburn allegedly prepared the weapon to fire it 3 times before he actually shot Cruz in the chest.
After reviewing all the evidence, Justice Lucas ruled that Cruz's death was as a result of self-defense, and that the prosecution, represented by Sherigne Rodriguez, did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it wasn't.
With that, Rhaburn was able to walk out of court a free man. He was represented by attorneys Leeroy Banner and Deshawn Arzu-Torres.
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