After nearly two decades in legal limbo, Trevor Huggins, a resident of Point Fortin, has been acquitted of the 2007 murder of his stepfather, Brian O’Shaughnessy. The verdict was delivered by a jury at the High Court in Port of Spain on November 3, marking the end of a prolonged and emotionally charged case. Huggins had been accused of fatally stabbing O’Shaughnessy at their family home in January 2007. During the trial, which commenced on October 1 before Justice Maria Busby Earle-Caddle, jurors heard compelling testimony from Huggins’ sister, who recounted discovering her stepfather bleeding from the neck after hearing his cries from the kitchen. She described her brother as mentally unstable and recalled witnessing him flee the scene. When apprehended by authorities, Huggins reportedly claimed, ‘God told me to do it.’ A knife was later found near the victim’s body. A post-mortem examination confirmed that O’Shaughnessy died from stab wounds to the neck and chest. Further complicating the case, a psychiatrist testified that Huggins had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was experiencing a relapse at the time of the incident. Justice Busby Earle-Caddle instructed the jury to consider a manslaughter verdict if they believed Huggins acted under the influence of his mental disorder. However, the jury ultimately found him not guilty of both murder and manslaughter. Huggins was represented by attorneys Michelle Ali and Shuzvon Ramdass from the Public Defenders’ Department, while the prosecution was led by Veonna Neale-Monroe and Shanelle Kissoon from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.