Wells and Liddie convicted in Leanna Napoleon case

Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 12, 2019 (RSCNPF): On Friday, October 11, 2019, Brandon Lee Wells of Buckley’s Estate and Travien Liddie of St. Johnston Village were both convicted for the of death 17-year-old Leanna Napoleon.

Wells (Leanna’s brother) and his friend, Liddie had previously been charged for the incident which occurred between May 08 and June 14, 2017.

On Friday, the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts for the offences of Murder and Attempting to Pervert the Natural Course of Justice for 21-year-old Wells. The jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict for 20-year-old Liddie for the offence of Attempting to Pervert the Natural Course of Justice and an 11-1 guilty verdict for the offence of Murder. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has indicated to the court that he intends to make an application for the death penalty for both accused persons.

The judge ordered a Social Inquiry Report and Psychiatric Report be completed in preparation for sentencing. Both Wells and Liddie have been remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison.

On June 24, 2019, 27-year-old Ivan Phillip of LaGuerite pleaded guilty to the offence of being an Accessory After the Fact to Murder. On September 24, 2019, he was sentenced to five (5) years and nine (9) months in prison commencing from that day.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Andre Mitchell has commended the collaborative work between the Office of the DPP and The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force, specifically the Crime Directorate, in advancing this case, and ultimately leading to its successful conclusion. The ACP has also commended the work of the Detectives assigned to this case.

“They went beyond the call of duty, applied their training and experience, and diligently sought to bring to justice the individuals who, by their behaviour, demonstrated no respect for the sanctity and value of human life,” the ACP said.

He is calling on all individuals to help protect members of our society, especially the vulnerable ones, from acts of wrongdoing.