There was unexpected silence on Tuesday in the Supreme Court of Justice John “Troadio” Gonzalez when the twelve jurors delivered a verdict of “not guilty” for both accused murderers, Aaron Jovanni King, 23, of Buttonwood Bay, Belize City, and Lleweyln Williams, 23, also of Belize City.
King and Williams, who allegedly gave a guilty statement back in 2006, were jointly charged with one count of murder on February 18, 2006, for the fatal stabbing of Alexei Goloubev, 34, a Russian, who was a practicing paralegal residing at #2 Third Street, Kings Park, which occurred on December, 31, 2005.
King’s statement was not signed, while Williams’ one was signed.
When they returned to court, however, Williams said that the statement was concocted by himself after being choked repeatedly and given assurance of his freedom by officers, if he implicated King.
In court, then constable attached to the CIB, Nicholas Polomo, denied that he had choked Williams, and Senior Superintendent Chester Williams denied assuring Llewyln Williams that he wouldn’t face charges if he made the statement against King.
The prosecutor, Yohhahnseh Cave, argued his case against both accused, based primarily on the evidence of the statement and the alleged murder weapon, the knife, which had a broken point.
Doctor Hugh Sanchez, who was called as a witness to the post-mortem, stated that the knife was similar in comparison to the weapon used to kill Goloubev.
Sanchez explained on the stand that Goloubev was stabbed 15 times. “The observations were those of a male man, adult, partly decomposed… with multiple stab wounds to the back of the head, neck region and left upper back, and lastly, once in the chest.”
The doctor explained that the wound that contributed the most to Goloubev’s death was a stab to the head, which penetrated the skull and brain.
Goloubev, who was renting the apartment at the time, was discovered, apparently dead, lying face down in his home on January, 3, 2006, by Pamela Cain, the daughter of the owner of the house. Goloubev’s friend of twelve years, a fellow paralegal, Stephen Thompson, identified the body as being that of his friend (Goloubev).
The Senior Superintendent of the Crimes Investigation Branch at the time, Chester Williams, explained in his sworn testimony that, “On the eighteenth day of February, 2006, sometime around 8:00 a.m., then Constable Nicholas Polomo brought to the CIB one Aaron King, a suspect who was wanted in the murder of Alexei Goloubev.”
Senior Superintendent Williams explained that King willingly gave the statement after he (Senior Superintendent Williams) administered a caution.
“. . . King told me that he will tell me what happened. I immediately sent for a Justice of the Peace, Miss Eleanor Enriquez… I asked him if he’s still interested in telling me what had happened. He said ‘Yes’.” Senior Superintendent Williams explained.
Another credible testimony against King was that of Dirk Dyer, Sergeant # 87, in charge of Ladyville Police Sub-formation at the time. Dyer explained to the court that during King’s presence at the CIB office, “… the defendant (Aaron King) informed me that he was going to take me for the knife.”
Dyer alleges that after they reached Landivar Street, in the Kings Park area, “Aaron King, then led me to an area alongside the drain on Landivar Street… to a white-handled knife”.
The knife was recovered at the scene. Dyer explained that King again admitted guilt when King told him, “This is the knife I used to kill Alex.”
Dyer went further by stating that after going back to the CIB office, “At the station, Aaron King said that the knife broke in Alex.”
The two defense attorneys, Michael Peyreffitte, who represented King, and Ellis Arnold, who represented Williams, brought to light the inconsistencies in reference to the time frame of the witnesses’ recollection of the events occurring on February, 18, 2006.
Peyrefitte sought to poke holes in the testimonies, especially that of the JP Enriquez, saying that the mix-up in the time indicates that she was never present at the CIB office at the time of the alleged statement by King, and furthermore, that she, for reasons unknown to court, signed a statement given to her by Chester Williams, without being present at the time of the supposed confession.
Enriquez adamantly denied such accusations by stating, during her sworn testimony that, “I was asked to go down to the Police Station [CIB]. When I arrived there, I spoke to Mr. Chester Williams. He informed that he would like me to witness a caution statement.”
Enriquez continued, saying, “I witnessed the caution statement of Mr. Aaron King… he refused to sign. I made a note that he agreed with what was written, but he did not want to sign”.
What was incredible about all the testimonies of these witnesses was the difference in the time frame at which they (Chester Williams, Polomo, Enriquez and Dyer) stated the incidents happened; from the time of the arrest (of King and Williams on February, 18, 2006) to the time at which the knife was discovered, because each gave different times, which they blamed on their poor recollection, due to the fact that it was over four years ago.
“I found it very disturbing that, they see a person, charge them for murder, based on a statement that was not signed” Peyrefitte told Amandala.
The jury, consisting of nine women and three men, deliberated for a little over four hours yesterday, and at 4:24 p.m., the verdict of “not guilty” was announced.
Justice Gonzalez explained to King and Williams that due to the decision of the jurors, they had no further dealings with the court and that they were “free to go”.
Both individuals embraced their families, and then disappeared into the busy streets of Belize City.