Killer gets another 20 years

| 18/08/2014

(CNS): Already serving two mandatory life sentences for murder convictions, 31-year-old Raziel Omar Jeffers was given a 20 year jail term by the chief justice on Friday for the manslaughter of Marcos Mauricio Duran. Chief Justice Anthony Smellie said there were no mitigating circumstances in the case, and given Jeffers' previous offences and his lack of remorse, the sentence had to fall at the upper end of the guidelines. Despite the anticipated introduction of tariffs next year, Jeffers is looking at a lifetime behind bars. He, like other lifers, will be able to apply to the court to set a tariff to the two life sentences but the tariff is merely a starting point for the consideration of parole and not a release date.

Jeffers was not accused of pulling the trigger in this case but of masterminding a robbery and arming young 'soldiers' from the Birch Tree Hill gang for the job. Austin Jackson and Craig Johnson, who the crown said in Jeffers' trial were part of the hold-up in which Duran died, and Joshua Ebanks, who the crown said was the one who shot him, have never stood trial in regards to the fatal robbery in West Bay in March 2010. Jordan Manderson was charged and tried for his murder but was acquitted in June 2011

Jeffers, who is now serving two mandatory life sentences and one 20 year term, has continued to deny all of the allegations against him.

His local legal representation has not yet stated whether or not they will appeal this latest manslaughter conviction but they confirmed Friday that the team is already working on an appeal for his conviction for the murder of Damion Ming earlier this year.

Jeffers has already lost one case in the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal for the killing of Marcus Ebanks and the attempted murder of four other boys on the same evening outside Bonaventure boys home in West Bay in July 2009, but his team is seeking to overturn his conviction in relation to the Ming shooting based on errors in the judge’s directions to the jury. Ming's death took place in Birch Tree Hill in March 2010, just days after the Duran killing, 

As in the case against Jeffers for the killing of Duran and his conviction for the murder of Marcus Ebanks, the evidence against him in the Ming shooting was based heavily on a confession Jeffers made to his girlfriend about the three killings. In three trials the defence team was unable to break the testimony of Meagan Martinez, who has been unwavering in her account of the confession.

Her testimony regarding Jeffers' confession to her about his crimes was admissible in his trials but, under the hearsay law, would not be admissible in the trial of any person who was not present when the confession took place.

Martinez, who is the mother of Jeffers' son, is currently in a witness protection programme and is living overseas. But during the trial she raised her concerns about the extent of that protection and how long it will endure now that the crown has prosecuted all three of its cases against Jeffers.

Related stories on CNS:

Jeffers guilty of third killing (18 August 2014)

Jeffers guilty of killing Ming (3 April 2014)

Judge finds Jeffers guilty (23 February 2012)

Teen not guilty of murder (21 June 2011)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Well the public wont have to worry about you anymore, you're going to rot and suffer in maximum now lolllllll

  2. The Thinker says:

    Why take care of this murderer for the rest of his life with free housing, food, health care etc.?  The Caymans need capital punishment. 

    Doesn't anyone care how much of the people's money is lost yearly for prisoners?

     

  3. Anonymous says:

    oh oh

    i hear the human rights nerds marching in right now

     

    • The Human Rights Nerds says:

      I think you may have missed us underneath the sound of the ill-informed making snap judgments and glib generalisations. 

  4. Anonymous says:

    As dangerous as Jeffers is to Cayman society, if he gets parole when he is 60 years old, he will be out there murdering again. At least now he wont have any more children by how many more mothers, children who already do not know and will never know their father. He is a disgrace to our community.

  5. Anonymous says:

    This is especially for Meagan.  Meg. according to the Court Reporters you referred to yourself as a "wild child". I remember you as a regular child, a pretty child with a lot of promise.  After losing your Dad and abandoned by other familymembers you were left to fend for yourself and you fell in with the wrong crowd.  I pray that you will use all of your past experiences to turn your life around, to raise your son to be respectable and if you should meet any other little girl (or boy)  heading in the wrong direction you can warn them of the pitfalls. I pray that if possible you will go back to school and skill yourself to be able to take care of your child and your self.  I believe that the money our government spent and is spending on you is well worth it because you were a great witness for the proscution (according to the news reporter), I believe that you were thruthful, not even the learned defence lawyer could shake oyur testimony. You are a strong young woman, use that strength to carve out an honest future for you and your son. 

    God Bless you always Meg.

  6. Anonymous says:

    The Police and Crown take a lot of criticism, much of it from me, but let me congratulate them on this victory.

    Mr. Jeffers is an extremely dangerous and wiley individual, and Cayman is much better off having him off our streets for good. 

    The police gathered the evidence, which the proseuction then presented in a convincing manner.  Three times now!

    The RCIPS may have many issues it still faces, but this is a crucial victory and they must be commended, and thanked, for their service.