Defence suggests investigators compromised murder scene in Clansman Gang trial
Published:Tuesday | March 24, 2026 | 12:06 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
The handling of a bag recovered from the scene of a 2020 murder came under intense scrutiny in the Supreme Court on Monday, as the defence pressed its case that investigators may have compromised key evidence in the ongoing Clansman Gang trial.
During cross-examination of a detective sergeant, the case’s lead investigator, defence attorney Denise Hinson suggested that the senior officer “disturbed the crime scene” when he removed a “red-and-black” bag before the arrival of forensic personnel.
Hinson represents defendants Rolando Hall, Sharon Gilzene, Nashawn Guess and Conroy Kadogan.
This bag, which has featured prominently in previous testimonies, was later found to contain a magazine for a licensed firearm along with documents belonging to the deceased, William Christian.
The investigator admitted that he removed the bag from the premises and transported it to the Spanish Town Police Station, where it was subsequently photographed.
However, he maintained that at the time he did not consider the bag to be of evidential value, despite its contents.
Pressed on the decision, he explained that he acted because of what was inside the bag.
When it was put to him that his actions effectively altered the scene, the officer conceded to removing the item but offered no clear justification for not leaving it for crime scene investigators.
Further questions from Hinson revealed discrepancies surrounding the condition of the premises.
The officer told the court that a grille to the verandah was opened when he arrived, but later acknowledged that photographs shown in court depicted it as closed.
He denied being the one who closed it and said he could not say who did, nor could he explain why the scene of crime personnel were not shown the area as he had first observed it.
The line of questioning formed part of a broader attempt by the defence to challenge the integrity of the investigating officer and the credibility of the prosecution’s case, particularly the reliance on a statement from a self-confessed gangster which underpins charges against the accused men.
Earlier, attorney-at-law Paul Gentles raised questions about the reliability of that seeming star witness, suggesting that he could be a “pathological liar”.
The suggestion drew an immediate objection from the prosecution, which argued that such a determination was a matter for the court.
OBJECTION UPHELD
Presiding judge Justice Dale Palmer upheld the objection, noting that assessing whether a witness is truthful is the responsibility of the tribunal of fact.
The investigator confirmed that the statement provided by the seeming Crown’s main witness spanned approximately nine typed pages and was given voluntarily.
He rejected suggestions that it was solicited, insisting that the witness came forward of his own accord.
He also told the court that the statement focused on events the man claimed to have witnessed, not on his criminal past.
Under further cross-examination, the officer acknowledged that he did not conduct background checks into the witness’s criminal history before relying on the account to lay charges.
He also agreed, in response to questioning, that prisoners can lie, though he said he was unaware of instances where such lies were told to gain benefits.
Gentles also probed whether the witness had been treated as a suspect at any point or offered any inducement in exchange for his statement.
The investigator denied both, maintaining that no trade-off was proposed or contemplated.
“You made no promises to (witness name) in exchange for this? Were there any form of encouragement?”
“No sir ... . No form of soliciting on my part,” the investigating officer said.
Additional questioning touched further on the officer’s role at the scene on April 18, 2020, where he said he acted as the first responder.
He confirmed that subsequent searches were carried out, including one on the victim’s vehicle, and indicated that certain individuals of interest were present at the Spanish Town Police Station at the time of the vehicular search.
The detective sergeant, the 17th viva voce (oral testimony) witness of 25 so far for the prosecution, also provided his understanding of a “high-value target”, describing it as a person known to be involved in criminal activity.
At one point during the proceedings, the prosecution objected to what it described as inappropriate commentary by the defence, urging the court to “rein in counsel”.
Michael Wildman, represented by Gentles, and Lamar Rowe, by Tameka Harris, are jointly charged in connection with the April 2020 murder of William Christian and the wounding of another man.
The current witness testimonies on behalf of the Crown, which has spanned several days, relates to count 19 of the 32 count indictment of the wider Clansman Gang trial, where 25 men, including alleged gang leader Tesha Miller, are named.
The trial is set to continue on Tuesday at 10 a.m., with further cross-examination of the investigating officer tentative, as the defence awaits additional material, including station diary entries.
At least two defence attorneys have signalled that after perusing the entries, they may get further instructions to put additional questions to the senior investigator.