Murder charge dismissed against Jamaican after court finds extradition was improper

A High Court judge has thrown out the murder case against Jamaican national Methoni Vernon, accused in the 2014 killing of farmer Roy Carradice, after ruling that his extradition to Antigua was improperly conducted.

Justice Tunde Bakre granted a stay of proceedings on Monday, finding that Vernon’s rights were breached when he was brought from Dominica to Antigua in 2016 to face charges. Court documents revealed that proper extradition procedures were not followed by authorities.

Vernon had been charged with the July 1, 2014, murder of Carradice, 47, who was shot multiple times during a robbery at his farm near the Cassada Gardens Racetrack. While in Dominica in 2016, Vernon was detained for immigration violations but instead of being deported to Jamaica, he was transported to Antigua by police officers.

Police affidavits confirmed that officers were instructed to accompany Vernon from Dominica without any formal documentation or legal arrangements for his deportation. They were told not to take him into custody until landing in Antigua.

The case had previously faced setbacks, including a mistrial declaration and multiple changes in legal representation. Vernon, who had lived in Antigua for 15 years before the incident, was granted bail in 2023.

While authorities maintain Vernon remains a suspect in Carradice’s murder, the procedural irregularities in his extradition have now resulted in the dismissal of charges against him.