Murder convict reaches out to GG via social media

Having spent the last 28 years behind bars, a murder convict has taken to social media hoping his case may catch the attention of Governor General Patrick Allen.

The man, Orville Murray, also called Ricie, was convicted of murder in 2000 and initially sentenced to death. However, it was later re-sentenced to life imprisonment and ordered to serve 45 years before being eligible for parole.

Murray's appeal against his conviction was dismissed by the Court of Appeal in April, 2002. His petition for special leave to appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council was dismissed in June 2003.

"A 28 year me deh yah fi people murder," he said in an amateur video which was seemingly shot inside one of the island's prisons. "Mi naah gwane like me innocent, innocent. Me use to inna di streets. Gunman kill me father and me respond emotionally, and someone got killed. Mi confess and did a guh plead guilty ... but the investigating officer always told me him 70 per cent sure that me innocent," Murray said.

In his brief video message, Murray asked for the matter to be brought before the Governor General and expressed hope that the cop who investigated his case could help. He said that he had no money to pay lawyers to fight for his freedom, and claimed that he was "sent to death row for someone else wrong".

Inmates in Jamaican prisons are strictly prohibited from possessing cellphones, and the use of these devices within the correctional facilities is considered a serious violation of prison regulations. It is unclear when the video was recorded.

Meanwhile, in the case brought against Murray, the Crown relied on evidence from an alleged eyewitness who said on the day of the incident, in 1996, he was at home on his verandah facing the gate to the premises. Two men were conversing among themselves at the gate when Murray and another man called Glitterous came up and shot both of them resulting in their deaths.

In his defence, Murray said he did not go to the eyewitness' premises on the day in question and did not shoot at anyone.