Man lost in jail for nearly 50 years

A forensic psychiatric evaluation has been ordered for a 71-year-old man who is yet to be tried after being charged with murder back in 1976.

When Isaiah Palmer appeared in the St Catherine Parish Court on Tuesday, he was assigned Legal Aid representation. Attorney-at-Law Denise Hinson, who now represents Palmer, requested the evaluation for her client. Palmer, who is deaf and has impaired vision, last appeared in court in September 2023. He has only communicated that he is from Windsor Road, Spanish Town.

The allegations are that in 1976, Palmer was charged with murder but his case subsequently got lost in the system. His case was revived during a remand visit at the Tamarind Farm Correctional Centre last August. But it was revealed that his court file cannot be found.

Palmer is set to return to court on March 13.