Commencement of murder trial of American citizens, Kevin Townsend and Marcus Kevin Tomas,

WINDHOEK, 16 August  —  Kevin Townsend and Marcus Kevin Tomas, United States citizens, have been in the Namibian Police Custody for 11 years awaiting trial on their charges.
The two were accused of committing the murder of Mr. Heckmair whose body was found in a cul-de-sac in Klein Windhoek. He died in his car of one bullet to the head. The two were further charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances as defined in S 1 of Act 51 of 1977 (the CPA) – Importation of firearms (firearm barrels) without a permit; in contravention of S 22(1) of Act 7 of 1996 – possession of a firearm without a license; in contravention of S 2 of Act 7 of 1996 – possession of ammunition; in contravention of S 33 of Act 7 of 1996 –
defeating or obstructing or attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice.

The State opposed the bail application on the following grounds:

The seriousness of the charges against the applicant; the strength of the State’s case; that the applicant poses a flight risk; the risk that the applicant will interference with State witnesses; that it is not in the interest of the public or the administration of justice to grant the applicant bail.

This bail application was denied in the High Court of Namibia in 2019 as a factor of the second accused who had attempted to escape from custody and had various other attempts to obstruct the course of justice.

– NDN Reporter