Elmer Nah’s Trinidadian Attorney Withdraws from Murder Case

Today, part two of the Case Management Conference for Elmer Nah, who is accused of a triple murder in Belmopan, took place. A surprising twist occurred when one of Nah’s attorneys withdrew from the case, leaving him with only one lawyer for his trial. Around 11:30 a.m., the matter was called up before Justice Nigel Pilgrim in the High Court. Only attorney Lynden Jones appeared in person; Trinidadian attorney Peter Taylor and his team did not show up, either in person or virtually. Justice Pilgrim raised the issue of Taylor’s withdrawal, and Jones confirmed he was aware of it, as the documents had been lodged with the High Court. Jones is now the sole attorney representing Nah. In his withdrawal letter, Taylor stated, quote, Mr. Nah expressed dissatisfaction with my representation at the CMC on April 1, 2025, and on that basis, I feel obligated to withdraw my service, end quote. Following this revelation, Jones made several applications to the court. His first application was to set aside time for voir dire in the last week of May. He argued that three separate voir dires are needed: one to determine if Vivian Ramnarace’s statement can be used as evidence, another for the video testimony of Ramnarace regarding the photo array, and a third for the video of the shooting, since the original video from the SD card has vanished. Jones’ second application requested a visit to the locations related to the case: the house where the shootings occurred, Nah’s house, and the alleged pig farm where Nah claimed to be on the night of the murders. Justice Pilgrim agreed and instructed both sides to create a list of all areas to be visited. Jones’ third application was to subpoena ASP Dervin Sambula, now a Magistrate, and ACP Alford Grinage to testify for the defense. His fourth application asked for the video of the shooting to be enhanced by the Government of Belize. Special Prosecutor Terrence Williams from Jamaica said he would seek guidance on this matter.  Jones’ fifth and final application requested a transcript of the photo array video, as the defense believes there are discrepancies between the crown’s statement and the video. Justice Pilgrim agreed that the transcript would assist the court, and Williams assured he would seek further assistance. Elmer Nah was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until May 16, 2025, when the final part of the Case Management Conference will occur. The first voir dire is scheduled for May 26-29, 2025, and the trial is tentatively set to begin on June 6, 2025.