A 26-year-old man has been acquitted of the 2020 murder of Keith Andrew Willis, called “Ghandi,” following a trial before Justice Nicola Pierre at the Demerara High Court.
Tafari Softley was found not guilty by a 12-member jury after standing trial for the murder of Willis, whose body was discovered along the Bachelor’s Adventure Access Road, East Coast Demerara, in December 2020.
Softley had originally been charged with murdering the 23-year-old mason between December 13 and December 14, 2020, at Bachelor’s Adventure Access Road.
He first appeared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court, where he was not required to plead to the indictable charge.
He was subsequently remanded to prison before being committed to stand trial in the High Court.
According to reports, Willis left his Bachelor’s Adventure home at about 16:30 hrs on December 13, 2020, to attend a football competition in the community, which ended around 20:30 hrs.
Investigators said he later visited his girlfriend at Paradise Housing Scheme and left her home at about 23:00 hrs to return home.
The following morning, at about 05:30 hrs, a resident travelling to work discovered Willis lying on the Bachelor’s Adventure Access Road and alerted the Police.
When officers arrived at the scene, they observed what appeared to be a single stab wound to the upper left side of his neck.
Willis was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Following the trial, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of not guilty, clearing Softley of the murder charge. Justice Pierre subsequently ordered his release.
