A 31-year-old Diego Martin man has appeared in court charged with murdering transgender activist Keon Alister Patterson earlier this month.
Neil Anthony Byer, of La Puerta Avenue, Diego Martin, was charged when he reappeared before Senior Magistrate Nanette Forde-John on charges of possession of the firearm and ammunition used to murder Patterson on December 5.
Byer was initially charged for possession of the illegal weapon on December 14 and was in custody.
The Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions advised investigators to charge him with Patterson’s murder last Friday.
Patterson, also known as Sasha Fierce, 28, of Pashley Street, Laventille, was standing near the Nelson Mandela Park in St Clair when he was ambushed by two men, one of whom shot him several times.
Byer was charged by PC Ashad Mohammed following investigations led by ASP Suzette Martin, Insp Arnold Lutchman and Sgt Lystra Bridgelal of the Region One Homicide Bureau.
Byer’s court appearance came days after Christopher “Kim” Alexander appeared in court charged with murdering his estranged lover, Keil Lempsey, who was also transgender.
On December 18, security guards at the National Energy Skills Centre in Debe found Lempsey’s body in a garbage bag dumped on the compound.
Lempsey had been stabbed several times.