Remanded man home free for Christmas after two decades

_{Photo: Glenford Logan}

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Dec. 16, 2024

At the age of 23, Glenford Logan was charged for murder and placed on remand, and now, two decades later, he has finally been set free.

Documents from the Belize Central Prison’s psychiatrist, Jose Matus, indicate that Logan was diagnosed with “schizophrenia”.

Logan had never been convicted of a murder, and was only accused of the murder of a man back in 2003 when he was only 23, and when his case was reviewed before Justice Nigel Pilgrim in the High Court today, no case file on Logan was presented. Based on Logan’s attorney’s written submissions to the court, Justice Nigel Pilgrim was of the view that Logan’s constitutional rights were violated; and since he had been in prison for 21 years, and he was not fit to stand trial, Pilgrim set him free.

Logan was turned over into the care of his mother, who sat patiently waiting for her son to be released.

The court session took place shortly before 10:00 this morning in the High Court of Justice Pilgrim, and an hour later at around 11:00, Logan met his mother on the verandah, and they walked home together after he had spent 21 years behind bars.

On August 8, 2000, at the age of 19, Glenford Logan was arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court for the murder of security guard, Kingsford Obeng, which had occurred on Saturday, August 5, 2000.

Obeng, who had been guarding a grocery store on that fateful Saturday night, was attacked by a man who slashed his throat. He died the next morning in the hospital.

An article written in the Amandala dated June 2, 2018, had stated that at the age of 39, Logan was then said to be the prisoner who held the record for being in the remand section for the longest period of time.

Today’s good news came as an early Christmas gift and birthday gift to Logan, who last Thursday, on December 12, celebrated his 44th birthday behind bars.

Today, Logan’s case was called up for mentioning.

In an application filed on his behalf on October 31, 2024, attorney Sherigne Rodriguez asked the High Court for a stay of proceedings.

In that application, attorney Rodriguez, who works out of the Legal Aid Office, said that Logan had been on remand for the offense of murder since being accused of murder two decades ago.

She made an application for bail at the High Court and, as Logan was deemed unfit for trial, via a perfected order dated October 22, 2022, a court order had placed Logan “in detention in safe custody until his Majesty Pleasure shall be known”.

Logan had been examined by Dr. Matus, who in a report dated September 6, 2023, which the court received from the Ministry of Health, stated that Logan, “is suffering from Schizophrenia.”