A jury of 8 men and 4 women is deliberating the fate of 35 year old Wesley Emmanuel a.k.a "Wesley Snipes", charged with the murder of 36 year old Emigidio "Emi" Gomez.
Gomez was found dead hanging from his own belt from a tree in a feeder road off the Coastal Road on July 17, 2008. The jury began deliberating around 3p.m. the incident occurred on July 16, 2008. Gomez and Mennonite Cornelius Schmitt were in a truck carrying a bulldozer on the Burrell Boom/Hattieville Road when they were stopped by three men in a black car, one of them armed with a firearm. Gomez and Schmitt were taken in the car to the feeder road where Schmitt was shot 3 times. After the third gunshot Gomez ran and he was pursued by the gunman and another man.
A post-mortem on Gomez revealed he died from asphyxia due to hanging. Schmitt survived by pretending to be dead. Emmanuel gave a statement from the dock in which he said he was coerced into giving the caution statement that was admitted as evidence. In December last year Emmanuel was freed on the charge when a nolle prosequi was entered but he was re-indicted. Another man, Jesse James Ochoa, who was charged jointly with Emmanuel, was acquitted. The case was heard in the court of Justice Adolph Lucas. Emmanuel was represented by attorney Ernest Staine. Crown Counsel Christophe Rodriguez represented the prosecution.
