Fifty year old Edward Buller, a laborer of 32 Central American Boulevard charged with the murder of 41 year old Honduran National Ella May Bennett known as "Stephanie" and " Gal Gal", was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter today in the court of Justice Adolph Lucas. The jury of 6 men and 6 women deliberated for about four and a half hours before it arrived at its verdict which was unanimous. Justice Lucas has deferred sentencing until September 27 in order to give Buller's attorney, Phillip Palacio, time to prepare a plea for mitigation.
The incident occurred on the night of June 20, 2009. According to a caution statement Buller gave to the police that was admitted as evidence, he and the deceased had an argument and a struggle over a "smoke" and he pushed her and she fell on the verandah of the abandoned concrete bungalow house at 32 Central American Boulevard.
Bennett died from injuries to her head and face. Her body, nude from the waist down, was discovered 2 days later. Buller testified and claimed that on the night of the incident he was at home watching television and he went to sleep around 10p.m.Crown Counsel Sharmela Williams represented the prosecution.