KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a dramatic twist to a high-profile court case, Keith Clarke, a 64-year-old accountant, was confirmed by the island’s former chief forensic pathologist to have been fatally shot multiple times in the back as he descended from a closet, contrary to defense suggestions that he was actively engaging with law enforcement. This revelation came during a gripping testimony in the Home Circuit Court, where three soldiers stand trial for Clarke’s murder.
The expert witness, Dr. Dinesh Rao, formerly the chief forensic pathologist in the Legal Medicine Unit at the Ministry of National Security, detailed how Clarke sustained traumatic shock resulting in fatal damage to his lungs, heart, intestines, and kidney due to multiple gunshot wounds. His analysis was based on the autopsy he conducted, where he observed 25 external wounds, with 20 being immediately fatal.
Dr. Rao elaborated on the devastating nature of the gunshots, explaining, “The multiple gunshots led to extensive damage—organs within the chest cavity, including the lungs and heart, were completely destroyed,” Rao described, further noting that such injuries were indicative of the powerful shockwave and splinters from the bullets.
During the legal proceedings, presided over by Justice Dale Palmer, Dr. Rao corroborated accounts given by Clarke’s widow and daughter. They had previously testified, witnessing the harrowing moment Clarke was shot from behind while climbing out from his hiding place in the master bedroom during a police-military raid aimed at capturing fugitive drug lord Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke on May 27.
The soldiers, Lance Corporals Greg Tingling and Odel Buckley, along with Private Arnold Henry, are accused of carrying out the murder. The court scrutinized various scenarios regarding Clarke’s position and actions at the time of the shooting. Dr. Rao dismissed propositions that Clarke was either firing at officers or reaching for a weapon, supporting instead the testimony that he was shot while emerging from the closet, back turned to the shooters.
Dr. Rao’s insights into the trajectory and impact of the bullets further suggested that Clarke was likely bending or crouching, possibly in an evasive maneuver when he was shot. “The majority of the gunshots entered the left side of the back region, which suggests his left side or back faced the shooter, or during the maneuver at the moment of the shooting, he exposed the left surface of his back towards the shooters,” Rao explained.
A contention arose, however, regarding the admittance of Rao’s opinions on the scenarios, as the defense argued that it bordered on speculative and lacked an evidentiary basis. The objections were overruled by Justice Palmer, affirming that Rao’s expert input was permissible and sufficiently grounded.
While the court adjourned Rao’s continuing testimony to the following week, the trial proceeded with legal debates on subsequent testimonies. As this case unfolds, it entrenches the complexities and challenges of legal battles involving military operations and their tragic consequences on civilians.