Judge Lennox Campbell sentenced the dancehall star (real name Adidja Palmer) and three other men in Kingston, Jamaica on Thursday. The 38-year-old must serve 35 years behind bars before he can be eligible for parole.
Last month, a jury convicted Kartel and three co-defendants of murdering Clive “Lizard” Williams, who was beaten to death at Kartel’s house over two missing guns in 2011. His body has never been found.
One of the key pieces of evidence in the 65-day murder trial was a text message retrieved from Kartel’s phone saying Williams had been chopped up in “mincemeat” and that his remains would never be located.
Fans lined up outside the courthouse as police in riot gear manned barricaded streets. Once they heard the life sentence, they were overcome with emotion.
“Wickedness! They take away the ‘world boss,’” said one woman, referring to one of Kartel’s nicknames.
His camp reacted to the sentence, tweeting, “Addi never asked for nor expected anything else from the system that facilitated his conviction despite missing n tampered evidence.”
Defense lawyer Tom Tavares-Finson expects to file an appeal. “It is not over Gaza Army. It is not over,” his team assured fans. “Certain details we have to hold back but this is just a obstacle on the road to freedom.”
Kartel is one of dancehall’s biggest stars and has collaborated with artists including Jay Z, Rihanna, and Busta Rhymes, who attended the last day of his trial.
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