Rodman Lewis Murder Trial Comes to an End As Jury Is Set to Deliver Judgement

The murder trial of Rodman Moses Lewis in the killing of Tricia Riviere on November 3, 2015, is set to come to an end. Lewis was accused of the murder of Riviere, his former girlfriend and mother of his child. The trial has lasted 6 weeks with 18 witnesses called to the stand. The accused has however maintained that he is innocent of the murder of the deceased.

Investigating police officer, Sergeant Chaucer James, submitted that he was called to the crime scene on the day of the murder and that he found Lewis seated and depressed in the house. He said the body of Tricia Riviere was on the floor in the kitchen and there was blood smear all over the kitchen. He noted that during a police interview, Lewis admitted to killing Riviere by hitting her severally with a gas cylinder on the head.

But during his arraignment, Lewis maintained that he is innocent of all charges and that he is not the killer of former girlfriend.

“I am not the murderer, nor am I the killer, I work with non-profit organizations helping the youth and less fortunate,” he said. “I was employed at the Dominica State Prison as a Prison Officer; I was also a member of the PTA where my son attended school. I am not a murderer and did not murder Tricia Riviere.”

The prosecution is led by State Attorney Sherma Dyrample and the defence by Anthony Commodore. The jury is composed of five men and four women with Justice Wynante Adrien-Roberts presiding as judge. The court examined the report of pathologist Dr. Yaima Breuchus Muniz which stated that Riviere died as a result of blunt traumatic force to her head. The report revealed that the deceased died because of a trauma which crushed her skull, fractured her neck, and deformed her face with multiple injuries.

Dr. Muniz however is not in the country since he travelled outside the country since November 2017.

After examining a lot of evidences, the judge and jury will be delivering their final sentence in the coming days.

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