The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

IMAGES showing the exposed and decomposed body of Marco Archer inside a suitcase in bushes behind an apartment complex was shown to a Supreme Court jury yesterday.

The eight images appeared in the middle of a picture album that contained nearly 40 images depicting the murder scene starting from the roadview of Yorkshire Street, and ending with a view of Nike slippers found near a dumpster in bushes behind an apartment occupied by Kofhe Goodman, who prosecutors claim murdered the young boy.

Garvin Gaskin, deputy director of public prosecutions, with assisting prosecutors Neil Braithwaite and Darell Taylor, indicated in their opening address to the jury yesterday that they intend to provide DNA and forensic evidence that will prove that the accused, Goodman, was responsible for the murder of Archer between September 23 and 28 of 2011.

The body of Marco, a student of Columbus Primary School, was discovered on September 28, 2011, in bushes behind an apartment in Cable Beach five days after he disappeared.

Goodman, 37, of Yorkshire Drive, was charged in connection with the murder, which he denies, two months later on November 24.

He was told at his Supreme Court arraignment last year that he would stand trial on April 8, 2013. However, that was delayed following his unsuccessful application to have Justice Bernard Turner have an indefinite stay on the trial, as he and his attorney, Geoffrey Farquharson, argued that the trial and jury would be prejudiced by the pre-trial publicity of the case.

The trial was scheduled to open last Friday, April 19. However a juror informed the court that she had a connection to the parent of the deceased. She was discharged from her duties.

Farquharson called for the entire jury to be discharged and Justice Turner, in response, said he would rule on the matter on April 21. Yesterday, the judge allowed the trial to continue with the prosecution making its opening address to the jury before calling its first witness, a crime scene investigator.

The policeman told the court that on September 28, 2011, he received information while on duty and went to the address in question where he took a series of photographs upon instruction.

He brought an album of pictures he took that day and they were distributed to the jury. The policeman gave a description of each of the photographs contained in the album as the jury flipped through with each description given.

Images one through nine showed the roadview of Yorkshire Street, the entrance to the pink apartment, and various views leading to the rear of the apartment in question.

Images 10 through 17 showed a view looking towards a track road, a view of a bushy swamp and an eastern view of a black suitcase and plastic bag.

Images 18 through 25 show the exposed and decomposed body of Marco. A closer view of his exposed buttocks is shown in image 19 while a full body view is show in image 20.

The 23rd picture shows an image of his lower body and the next two images show a suspected wound to his abdomen and his anus.

The subsequent images show various views of a garbage storage area and a plastic bag near one of several crime scene cones placed on the grounds.

Images 33, 34 and 35 show the clothing in the plastic bag. The last images depict a multi-coloured pair of boxer shorts, a pair of khaki trousers and a close up view of Nike slippers.

The officer resumes his testimony at 10am today.