No arrests yet in Mwanga Freeman's death

Mwanga Freeman. Photo credit: dcaweekendz.com

Homicide victim Mwanga Freeman, also known as Omara Small was not a saint; however he was not as bad as people made him out to be.

Thirty-two year-old Freeman of Murphy's Lane, Goodwill was killed execution style on Wednesday about 9:30 p.m. Reports indicate he was shot at five times in the head and chest while conversing with friends outside a shop on High Street. Freeman's bullet-riddled body laid in a gutter for some two hours while police officers conducted preliminary investigations.

Police Public Relations Officer Inspector Claude Weekes said no one has been arrested for the crime.

Freeman leaves to mourn three daughters. A family member speaking on condition of anonymity told this publication that Freeman put a lot of time into his family. "He provided for each and every one of his daughters," the dead man's cousin said.

While Freeman was considered notorious, his cousin said he did a lot for his community by helping to restore the Goodwill Savannah, hosting several small goal tournaments, and attempting to revive sports for the youth. "Last night I was told he would often tell the younger guys around don't live their life like he did, don't make the mistakes he made. He wasn't a saint, but he cared enough for the community he grew up in to give back," Freeman's younger cousin noted.

"I know most people will say a lot about my cousin- the way he lived his life- but no one is perfect, and most people don't know the truth ... he wasn't as bad as they made him out to be," he added.

Freeman, along with Leroy Langford, was convicted on June 28, 2000 for beating Ossie Osmond Charles to death on October 28, 1998, and were sentenced to death by hanging. According to a court document, they both appealed to the Court of Appeal against conviction and sentence. On June 5, 2001 the Court of Appeal by a majority of the Justices of Appeal (Matthew, and d’Auvergne (Ag), Redhead) dismissed the appeals against conviction.  They unanimously allowed the appeals against sentence, set aside the mandatory death sentences and referred the case back to the trial judge for re-sentencing. Langford was subsequently sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment, but Freeman was not re-sentenced. Both appellants appealed against the decision of the Court of Appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, by special leave granted on July 12, 2004. The Lords of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council delivered a judgment on May 11, 2005 to quash the conviction of Langford and Freeman.

"In view of the length of time which has elapsed since the incident and the weaknesses in the identification of the appellants their Lordships do not consider that a new trial should be ordered," the judgment read.

Upon his release from prison, he changed his name to Omara Small because of the stigma behind his birth name, Mwanga Freeman. He however had another run-in with the law when he was arrested in connection with the murder of Roseau businessman, Marcus Peltier in April 2007.

In relation to that matter, Freeman's cousin claimed that the deceased recently won a case at the High Court for wrongful arrest and imprisonment. A related charge against a police officer for unlawful search on his Goodwill home is reportedly pending to be heard.