Men Convicted of Brutal 2009 Murder Lose Appeal

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Four men convicted of the gruesome murder of 18-year-old Jovine Jones in 2009 have lost their bid to have their convictions overturned. The Court of Appeal upheld the murder convictions, describing the killing as “heinous and gruesome” and noting that Jones was “essentially butchered.”

The appellants—Alex Hemmings, Travis Findlater, Hockeal Scott, and Denny Williams, all of Claremont, Hanover—were convicted in 2016 for stabbing Jones 42 times on October 9, 2009, and dumping his body beside a river. Jones, also known as “Tyson” and “Heartless,” sustained 35 stab wounds to the front of his neck, with additional wounds to his chest and back.

The men, aged 19 at the time of the crime, admitted in cautioned statements that Scott stabbed Jones while the others helped drag the body through bushes to the river. However, at trial, they alleged that the police had assaulted and threatened them into giving the statements, despite those statements being made in the presence of attorneys.

The men claimed the killing occurred after Jones confronted them over a missing gun and warned that members of the Bone Crusher Gang would attack them and their families.

In November 2016, the Hanover Circuit Court found the men guilty of murder. Scott was sentenced to life imprisonment with eligibility for parole after 30 years, while Hemmings, Findlater, and Williams were ordered to serve 25 years before being eligible for parole.

Appeal Grounds Rejected

The appellants argued that the trial judge erred in rejecting their no-case submissions and failing to free them, given the circumstances under which their cautioned statements were given. They also contended that the jury should have been instructed to consider manslaughter in the cases of Williams, Findlater, and Hemmings.

However, Crown Counsel Paula-Sue Ferguson and Carolyn Wright countered that the evidence pointed to the men as accessories to the murder, making a manslaughter direction inappropriate.

The Court of Appeal, comprising Justices Paulette Williams, Carol Edwards, and Nicole Simmons, agreed, stating that although Scott inflicted the injuries, there was no evidence that the other men distanced themselves from his actions.

Sentences Adjusted for Time Served

While dismissing the appeal last week, the court deducted one month, two weeks, and five days from the sentences to account for the time the men spent in custody before their sentencing in 2017.

The ruling underscores the court’s stance on violent crimes, particularly those involving such brutal and deliberate actions.