The Tribune

By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

THERE was a delay yesterday in the expected transfer of the Latore Mackey murder case to the Supreme Court.

Prosecutor Kendra Kelly informed Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt that the Voluntary Bill of Indictment was ready to be presented to Kelvin Deveaux and Dereck Neily, the men accused of the murder of Mackey, the prime minister’s press secretary.

Mackey, 37, was deputy director of Bahamas Information Services and owner of the Blue Reef Sports Bar and Lounge on West Bay Street. He was shot in the neck around 4:30am off Market Street on August 25.

For yesterdays’s proceedings, however, only Deveaux, 18, was brought down to the Nassau Street Court complex.

Prosecutor Kelly, when asked, told the chief magistrate that she was not aware of Neily, 22, being on bail.

Deveaux, of Market Street, and Neily, of Young Close, are facing a charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, attempted armed robbery and murder.

On the morning in question, officers responded to reports of gunshots being heard in the White Road area. When police arrived on the scene, they discovered Mackey slumped over the wheel of his government-issued vehicle with a gunshot wound in his neck.

He crashed into a utility pole after being shot and was pronounced dead at the scene. A significant amount of money was also in the vehicle.

Deveaux and Neily were charged with murder under Section 291 (1B) of the Penal Code, Chapter 84. A charge under this section does not attract the death penalty. The Voluntary Bill of Indictment presentation, which will fast track the case to Supreme Court for trial, is now scheduled for November 10.