Girl, 17, freed of Frederick St murder

A 17-year-old girl was yesterday acquitted of murder charges after a State attorney announced there was insufficient evidence to prove murder. Freed was Melissa Kuana Purcell, who was accused of stabbing 19-year-old Lennard Jack to death earlier this year. When the matter was called yesterday, state attorney Natasha George made the submission to chief magistrate Sherman Mc Nicolls, who presided over the matter. “The State is unable to proceed any further because the crux of the evidence could not disprove self-defence and therefore we are unable to prove murder.” With that said, Mc Nicolls told the accused the charge laid against her was dismissed and she was free to go. Purcell, represented by attorney Nathaniel King, was escorted from the prisoners’ dock by police officers and taken away to have her final papers processed.

A short while later, she was greeted outside the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court by elated relatives and friends, who were all visibly relieved that the matter was over. Purcell was charged with the murder of Jack, who was stabbed to death in March this year. On March 18, Jack, of Wharton Street in Laventille, was stabbed in the neck by a young woman with whom he had an altercation.  Reports state around 2:30 pm on that day, the girl and her mother entered the Super Ten store on upper Frederick Street and were confronted by Jack. The two reportedly had a heated exchange of words when the accused allegedly slapped Jack.

An infuriated Jack ran upstairs and returned with two knives. He was eventually stopped by the manager of the store. After that, Jack approached the young woman again and then slapped her in the face. It was reported that the angry teenager then whipped out a knife and stabbed Jack in the neck. Jack was rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The attacker, who had by that time walked out of the store, was held by police officers a short distance away. Speaking to Newsday after her release, the only comment a smiling Purcell would offer was that she was happy. Purcell’s uncle, Keith King, also said that Purcell did not have anything to hide because she did not do anything wrong.