A 26-year-old man who stood trial for the 2020 murder of Keith Andrew Willis, called “Ghandi,” has been acquitted by a High Court jury.

Tafari Softley was found not guilty following a trial before Justice Nicola Pierre at the Demerara High Court. The 12-member jury returned a unanimous verdict, after which Justice Pierre formally discharged Softley.

Softley had been accused of murdering the 23-year-old mason sometime between December 13 and 14, 2020, along the Bachelor’s Adventure Access Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

The charge was first laid before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Vigilance Magistrate’s Court, where Softley was not required to enter a plea because the offence is indictable.

He was remanded to prison before the matter was committed to the High Court for trial.

According to the prosecution’s case, Willis left his Bachelor’s Adventure home at around 4:30 p.m. on December 13 to attend a football competition in the community, which concluded later that evening.

Investigators said he subsequently visited his girlfriend at Paradise Housing Scheme and left her residence at about 11:00 p.m. to return home.

The following morning, at approximately 5:30 a.m., a resident travelling to work discovered Willis lying motionless on the Bachelor’s Adventure Access Road and alerted the police.

Officers who responded to the scene observed what appeared to be a single stab wound to the left side of his neck. He was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police investigations led to Softley’s arrest and subsequent murder charge.

However, after hearing the evidence presented by both the prosecution and defence during the trial, the jury found Softley not guilty, bringing the nearly six-year-old murder case to a close. During the trial proceedings, Softley was represented by attorney Tonza Sarrabo.