Above: Vybz Kartel
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel and three other men have been convicted of murder following a long trial.
Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, was found guilty of murder by a 10-1 vote of the jury.
The group of four defendants was convicted for the deadly beating of Clive “Lizard Williams” at Kartel’s residence in 2011. A fifth co-defendant was cleared of the charges.
The verdict came after one of the jurors in the case was arrested after allegedly trying to bribe the jury’s foreman.
The popular Kartel was a polarizing figure in Jamaica, and retained the support of many of his fans throughout the trial, including a relatively large group chanting for his freedom outside of the courthouse and a continued presence on Twitter.
It was the second major murder trial involving Kartel in the last year or so; in 2013, he was found not guilty in the murder of a Jamaican businessman, Barrington Burton.
Kartel’s sentencing is set for later this month.