Jamaican dancehall artist Adidja Palmer, better known as Vybz Kartel, has been released from incarceration after serving 12 years of a life sentence.

Kartel, along with Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Andre St John, and Kahira Jones, was originally convicted in 2014 for the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams, which occurred in 2011.

The Privy Council overturned these convictions in March 2024, citing juror misconduct, and raised the question of whether a retrial should occur.

On Wednesday, the Jamaican Court of Appeal ruled against the retrial, bringing an end to a legal battle that lasted nearly 13 years. Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, the newly appointed President of the Court of Appeal, presided over the panel that delivered this highly awaited ruling.

While Kartel, Campbell, and St John have regained their freedom, Jones remains incarcerated due to a separate sentence.

Vybz Kartel marked his release by posting a video on X with his wife, captioning it: “Am out! Me and wifey.”