Another accused murderer has walked free after the prosecution's case collapsed because of shoddy police work.
22 year old Avondale Trumbach accused of murdering 18 year old Shawn Clother in September of last year, walked out of court a free man today. That's after the statement from the principal witness fell apart under scrutiny. That witness, Robert "Marab" Flowers, the conch fritters vendor who was recently murdered, never visually identified Trumbach as the killer before his death.
In fact, evidence offered by investigator Sergeant Oscar Puga showed that Flowers had only identified Trumbach as "Ham Bone" but never pointed him out in an id parade. Still, the prosecution tried to get include the Flowers' statement by bringing in his brother Christino Madrill to certify the identity of his brother. But Madrill only clouded the matter more when he said that his brother was named Robert Derrick Flowers, when the prosecution had presented a death certificate for Robert Anthony Flowers. And more than that, Madrill said that the death certificate show to him didn't "look like" his brother's one. With that the trial was stopped by Justice John Gonzalez who ruled that no evidence had been presented to link the accused to the crime.
That said, Prosecutor Carlo Mason had to close his case and Trumbach left the courtroom exhilarated. Because of the principle of double jeopardy, he cannot be re-arrested and accused of the same crime.