Vybz Kartel was back in the news in early 2024 when an appeals date was set in a London court stemming from the Jamaican dancehall musician’s 2014 murder conviction. But has there been an update on when Kartel might be released from prison?
Kartel — given name Adidja Palmer — and three other men were convicted for the 2011 shooting of Clive “Lizard” Williams, a dancer and member of Kartel’s entourage whose body was never found. Kartel’s defense team says his conviction rests on improperly obtained text messages that should never been admissible in court, and that the judge mishandled potential bribery allegations involving the jury.
According to Vibe, Kartel’s appeal hearing before London’s Privy Council is tentatively scheduled for sometime between April 16 and April 18, 2024, in London.
When will Vybz Kartel be released from prison?
Possible April appeals date notwithstanding, in 2014, Kartel and his co-defendants were sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 35 years, later reduced to 32-and-a-half in Kartel’s case, meaning the soonest Kartel might be freed would be mid-2046. Kartel, who was 48 as of 2024, is also facing health issues that a private doctor has said were worsened by prison conditions and could affect the outcome of his appeals court ruling.
Regarding the pending appeal, Kartel’s co-defendant, Shawn “Shawn Storm” Campbell’s attorney, Bert Campbell, said, ” … [W]e’re happy to know that finally, these matters will be heard by the highest court, the Privy Council. … We hope that the appeal will be heard and that we will be victorious.”
