A forensic biology certificate and DNA report for buccal swabs taken from Travis Ellis, the man charged with the December 2024 killing of retired journalist Barbara Gayle, are now in the hands of the prosecution as it continues preparations to mount its case against him.

The documents, which are among several needed to complete the Crown’s case file, are to be disclosed on the defence on or before June 13.

On Monday, Supreme Court judge, Justice Vinette Graham-Allen chafed at a still-outstanding psychiatric evaluation report, pointing out that since January the court had ordered a psychiatric evaluation of Ellis who is to answer to two counts of robbery with aggravation and murder.

Attorneys Tom Tavares-Finson, King’s Counsel, and Donahue Martin Jr, who are defending Ellis, told the court that their client had been seen by a doctor.

“There’s a certain report that the registrar requested that has not been received as yet, psychiatric evaluations, not yet in hand,” Graham-Allen stressed.

The matter was adjourned to July 21 and Ellis further remanded.

On Monday, a slightly scruffy Ellis sporting a canary-yellow denim pants and an off-white cotton shirt with black details sat quietly throughout the proceedings, nodding his head ‘yes’ when the judge informed him of the status of his case upon adjournment.

Gayle, who for over five decades served as The Gleaner’s premier court reporter, was murdered on December 16 at her house in the gated community of Caymanas Country Club Estate, Phase One, in St Catherine.

She was stabbed multiple times and her head bashed in by her killer. Her Mercedes Benz GLE motor vehicle and cellphone were taken.

Hours after news broke about Gayle’s killing, Ellis was seen driving her motor vehicle in the community of Gulf in Portmore, St Catherine. He reportedly gave conflicting stories about how he acquired the vehicle and was beaten and chased from the community by residents.

On December 18, after an intense manhunt, cops found Gayle’s motor vehicle abandoned in a heavily forested area on Dyke Road in Portmore. Hours later Ellis was caught hiding in bushes nearby. He was arrested and, after allegedly confessing to the murder, charged.

The matter, which was originally set for hearing in the St Catherine Parish Court, was transferred to the Home Circuit Court in Kingston after a voluntary bill of indictment was preferred by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The Crown has since indicated that it intends to seek the death penalty against the accused murderer.

— Alicia Dunkley-Willis