A murder case that's over eight years old resulted in a conviction yesterday. It happened in the Northern Session of the Supreme Court, where 33 year-old Kenrick Williams, was convicted for the March 2004 murder of 16 year-old Elia Gonzalez.
On March 23rd, 2004, at 3:30 p.m., the second form student came off a bus at the Libertad cut off where she walked down to the Libertad dirt road.
But, she didn't make it home because according to the accusation, Williams ambushed her, and pulled her into the nearby busy area. It was there that he sexually assaulted her, strangled her to death and tied her up with her shoelaces. In December 2009, Williams was convicted but that was declared a mistrial.
In this retrial, Crown Counsel Kaysia Grantcalled 14 witnesses to testify against Williams, but in the end, it was his own statement to police which helped to secure his conviction.
Williams told the investigating officers that on the day in question, he met his secret girlfriend 'Liz', on the Libertad Road where they had consensual sex. He continued that while in the act he held on to her throat and accidentally choked her to death. Williams told police that it was after she died that he tied a shoe lace around her neck.
In his defence, Williams gave a dock statement saying that he never had anything to do with anyone named Elia Gonzalez. The jury deliberated for just over 3 hours, and they returned with a unanimous verdict of guilty.
Justice Hanomansingh has set aside July 18 for sentencing.
