Andem faces murder rap June 11
THE trial of Joel Andem and two others for the 2000 abduction and murder of businesswoman Sylvia Edwards is now scheduled for June 11 in the Home Circuit Court.
The trial was postponed in early February because Andem, who is behind bars, was not brought to court. The court was told then that the accused could not attend as the heavily armed security detail that usually escorted him was unavailable. The matter was then taken off the trial list and mentioned Friday when the new trial date was set.
Andem, the reputed former leader of the Giddeon Warriors gang, is jointly charged with Rohan Masters and Rupert Wallace, who are said to be former members of the gang, which was based in rural St Andrew.
Edwards, 48, a Kingston gas station operator, was kidnapped from a shopping mall on Red Hills Road, St Andrew in July 2000 and later shot and killed when a ransom of $200,000 was not paid over to her kidnappers.
Her body was later found buried in a shallow grave at University Heights, in Constitution Hill, St Andrew.
Andem is currently serving prison time on other
criminal convictions.