Man freed of murdering grandmother

After spending almost 15 years in prison, a man from Maracas Bay has been acquitted of murdering his 94-year-old grandmother.

It took a 12-member jury before Justice Sherene Murray-Bailey, in the Port-of-Spain High Court a little under an hour to deliberate and return with a not guilty verdict for 50-year-old Lester “Sea Blast” Diaz.

Diaz, a former fishermen and handicraft vendor, was accused of murdering Martina Roxborough in July 2009.

Her nude body was found in a room at her Maracas Bay home by one of her daughters. Homicide detectives initially believed that Roxborough died of natural causes, but Diaz was charged after an autopsy revealed that she had been strangled.

During his trial, it was alleged that Diaz attacked her after she refused to allow him to continue to stay at his home.

Diaz, through his attorney Orrin Kerr, denied any wrongdoing, as he claimed that he was at his sister’s home when Roxborough was killed.

Although Diaz did not testify in his defence, his alibi was confirmed by his sister.

Kerr also challenged forensic evidence, alleging that Diaz’s DNA was found at the crime scene.

Diaz was prosecuted by Indira Chinebas and Shervon Noriega.

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