Dancehall star Vybz Kartel regains freedom after 12 years in jail

Jamaican artist Adidja Palmer, also known as Vybz Kartel, has been released from jail after serving a 12-year sentence.

Kartel and three other men, Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Andre St John, and Kahira Jones, were charged with the 2011 murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.

They were initially convicted in 2014 and sentenced to life in prison.

However, their convictions were overturned by the Royal Commission in March 2024 due to a security breach, leading to the current appeal on whether a retrial is necessary.

The Jamaican Court of Appeal ruled on Wednesday against a retrial, bringing an end to a nearly 13-year legal fight that has gripped the country.

Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, the recently appointed President of the Court of Appeal, led the panel of judges that delivered the much-anticipated decision.

While Kartel, Campbell, and St John are now free, Jones will stay in detention due to an unrelated sentence.

On Wednesday night, Vybz Kartel uploaded a video of himself and his wife celebrating their independence.

Am out! Me and WIFEY 🍾 pic.twitter.com/UeChSH33Wt

— Vybz Kartel (@Vybz_Official) July 31, 2024