_{Photo: Jahstar Wassani Gonguez, free}

BELIZE CITY, Fri. May 10, 2024

Tonight, a Belize City man, after spending 2 years, 6 months, 3 weeks, and 10 days on remand for a charge of murder, is a free man.

He is 21-year-old Jahstar Wassani Gonguez, who saw his murder case ended in a nolle prosequi when he appeared earlier this morning in the High Court before Justice Derrick Sylvester.

The murder trial against Gonquez, who was charged for the November 1, 2021 shooting of Shawn Robert Palacio, aka “Ras Shawn,” 40, was called up for trial; but the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, said that the Crown could not proceed with the trial since the main Crown witness was fearful for her life and chose to not testify.

This morning, before Justice Sylvester, the DPP/Crown had no other choice but to discontinue the murder trial against Gonguez.

The Crown’s main witness, a woman who had allegedly witnessed the murder of Palacio, had reportedly asked if the state could provide protection for her in exchange for her testimony; but when she was told that there is no witness protection system in Belize, she chose, because of fear for her life, not to testify in the matter.

As a result, a nolle prosequi was submitted and minutes later Gonguez was released, and tonight is at home with his loved ones.

Gonguez had been arrested and charged with Palacio’s murder on November 18, 2021, 17 days after the fatal shooting, and was subsequently remanded to the Belize Central Prison.

On November 1, 2021, Shawn Robert Palacio, a.k.a. “Ras Shawn”, 40, was gunned down while walking on Mudd Street in the Jane Usher Boulevard area of Belize City.

Palacio’s murder came as a shock to his community, as he was not known to be involved in any violent activities.