Joel Seraphin (pictured with Sir Rodney Williams) has returned to Dominica after release from prison
A Dominican national who distinguished himself through academic achievement while incarcerated has returned to his homeland after serving 18 years of a 25-year sentence.
Joel Kwame’ Seraphin, 41, departed Antigua and Barbuda this week aboard a Sunrise Airways flight, following Governor General Sir Rodney Williams‘ decision to commute his sentence for the 2009 murder of Clinton Mannix.
The case dates back to November 2009, when Seraphin, along with co-defendants George Thomas and Andre Nibbs, was convicted of taking Mannix to a building in St John’s for questioning about a failed cocaine transaction.
After binding Mannix’s hands, the men transported him to an isolated area in Yeptons where he was fatally shot. Mannix’s body was discovered on Dove Trail near Yeptons Beach on November 6, 2009, with multiple gunshot wounds.
During his incarceration, Seraphin demonstrated remarkable commitment to personal development. He became one of the first inmates to receive a fully funded scholarship through the ‘Seeds of Hope’ program, which provides opportunities for online education to prisoners.
His dedication to his studies culminated in his graduation at the top of his class in 2022.
Sometimes people change for the better.
When you migrate to another country, you migrate for a better life and leave your culture and bad behaviour behind. It is good to see that he had made the best of his life while being incarcerated by utilizing the education given. With the country’s poor border patrol, he will be back on the next boat to Antigua.
Rehabilitation. I am pleased with the outcome of this story. You did well young man. Prison was never your home. You made mistakes learnt from them and moved on.
Happy for you son. Change is good. Go and shine
All u leaving all you country and going foreign to commit crimes. All u do that making people hate foreigners
Whether he is in Antigua or not, he is now going to a free man enjoying life after committing such a heinous crime while the victim’s family are in pain & agony from losing a love one. Can that really be fair?
Tired of Antiguans with the negativity. He did 18 years of a 25 years life sentence. He made something of his prison time and making not only himself but even the governor general proud. Why can’t you be happy that he wasn’t released with the same behavior he went in with? He came out with a certificate. All the people that got released before him or case thrown away, for murder, that’s who we need to come at
25yrs LIFE sentence? It’s either 25 or life…..
Wow, talk about change. I hope they give him a second chance to life and society over in Dominica. I’m so happy to hear this!