A man implicated in the stabbing death of a 79-year-old woman, has been temporarily freed as the crown cannot find a crucial witness in the case.
These developments occurred when the accused was brought before the St Mary Parish Court on Thursday, August 17.
Javar Johnson was charged with murder in relation to the death of 79-year-old Cynthia D’Avanza of Highgate in the parish.
She was stabbed to death on December 10, 2013 minutes after arriving home from the supermarket.
Information to The Times is that, two men, one wearing a mask, approached D’ Avanza as she was about to enter her home.
She, along with her husband, were robbed.
However, D’Avanza was stabbed and succumbed to her injuries.
Johnson was picked up some time after by the police and he was identified in an identification parade. He was charged with her murder.
However, in court on Thursday, it was revealed that a conditional nolle prosequi was entered.
A nolle prosequi is entered into when the prosecutor concludes that at the time the Crown is unable to provide evidence to mount a reasonable prosecution.
The entering of a nolle prosequi by the crown is not an acquittal on the charges and the director of public prosecutions (DPP) has the power to bring back or re-indict the matter.
The challenge of the crown was that a witness in the case could not be located.
Johnson was “temporarily freed.”
However, he was warned that the matter could be brought back to court, once the witness was located.
