Nearly five years after Kevin Atherley was found dead with multiple stab wounds in rural Barbados, his accused killer Joel Philemon Maynard will have his case laid out before a 12-member jury when testimony begins next Monday at the country’s Supreme Court.
Maynard, a 38-year-old resident of Padmore Village, has repeatedly maintained his innocence in the September 26, 2019 killing, entering a formal not guilty plea to the charge of first-degree murder. Atherley’s remains were discovered shortly after his death in Harrow Land, a district in the parish of St Philip, and coroners confirmed he had sustained several penetrating wounds before his death.
Court officials completed empanelling the jury earlier this week, which is made up of seven women and five men. The high-profile case will be overseen by Justice Laurie-Ann Smith-Bovell at the Supreme Court’s No. 4 courtroom.
Opening the prosecution’s case on Wednesday, Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Alliston Seale SC, who is working alongside acting Senior State Counsel Paul Prescod and State Counsel Tomeisha Sobers, told the court that the victim and the accused had a long-running friendship that deteriorated into conflict in the days leading up to Atherley’s death.
According to the prosecution’s narrative, on the day of the killing the two men encountered each other on an isolated path, where a heated confrontation turned violent. The clash left Atherley with multiple fatal wounds across his body, Seale said.
Law enforcement launched an extensive investigation immediately after the body was discovered. The probe wrapped up nearly 12 months after the incident, when authorities took Maynard into custody for questioning. He was formally charged with murder following the interview, Seale confirmed. Maynard’s legal defense is being led by attorney-at-law Sian Lange, who will challenge the prosecution’s evidence over the course of the trial.