We also asked the Home Affairs Minister about the killing of 43-year-old librarian Bernard Timmons.
As we told you last week, Timmons went to Orange Walk on Independence Day to spend time with his mother, who lives there. But around 11:30 that night, he encountered Tillett, and they had a brief argument. Tillett then returned with a machete and chopped Timmons in the neck.
Police have arrested and charged Nimrod Tillett with Timmons' murder, an accused who had already been charged for 2 other murders. Minister Kareem Musa is well acquainted with the Timmons family. That's because - before he was elected to office - he represented Baby Brenae Timmons, the daughter of the late Bernard, in a civil suit against the Samuel Haynes Institute. Here's what he had to say about the case today:
Reporter
"I understand [that] this isn't the first or second, but the third time he's been linked to a crime of this nature. So it begs the question, how was he still out on the streets?"
Hon. Kareem Musa, Min. of Home Affairs & New Growth Industries
"He was out on the streets because - in terms of the court process. That is something beyond their control. The judicial system, in both of the instances, found him not guilty, and he was able to leave. And so that is, of course, a great concern. The prosecution rate is something that we continue to work on, along with the Director of Public Prosecutions, to ensure that we are securing convictions in these cases. But definitely, that's a huge concern. And in this particular case, I have been assured by the commissioner of police that the evidence is solid, not just in terms of the camera evidence but in terms of eyewitness evidence, and that we will secure a conviction. But it's hugely unfortunate. As I said, Mr. Timmons was a client of mine. His daughter, Brenae, was a client of mine. And so that one really, really hurt me personally. And so, we have to ensure, like I said, all of these cases that we have conviction, that we are gathering the right evidence and we are securing those convictions."
