DNA evidence helps sink men who killed cop and brother

Six years after a police officer and his younger brother were killed and their bodies dumped at Sion Hill Bay, two men from Rillan Hill were found guilty in connection with their 2017 shooting deaths.

Schemel ‘Jacket’ Dunbar, and Kendine ‘Hoodie’ Douglas were found guilty of the May 4, 2017 double murder of Police Constable Danroy Cozier, 26, and his 19-year-old brother Nicholas Cozier. The convicted murderers were found guilty after a 12-member jury deliberated for nearly five hours before returning their verdicts at the High Court #1 on June 9.

The men are now awaiting sentencing which is set for July 14, after they were re-tried when a third accused, former police officer Richard ‘Karib’ Francis, pleaded guilty to murder while a trial had already started in December, 2022.

The brothers each received two gunshots to the head.

The re-trial which lasted almost three weeks heard evidence from 45 witnesses called by the prosecution, including experts in DNA, I.T and blood serology.

Director of Pubic Prosecutions Sejilla Mcdowall, led the crown and was assisted by Richie Maitland and Renee Simmons.

The crown’s case was that there was an accident involving Francis’s vehicle and that of the deceased, Danroy. Francis had agreed to pay for the damage, however he decided instead to have Danroy killed. He therefore made arrangements with Dunbar who contacted Douglas to be a part of the plan.

“For these accused men, $1500 was the value of a human life,” Maitland said during closing arguments. That was the sum that ‘Jacket’ had charged to kill Danroy, but he ended up killing his brother as well.

During summation of the evidence last Friday, Justice Brian Cottle noted that the prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence.

When the evidence was all put together,however, the prosecution thought that it could not be mere coincidence and that the only possible explanation was that the men were guilty.

Cottle said the prosecution argued that the men could not properly dispose of the evidence as they were apprehended a short distance from each other in their community after the police were notified of the deaths.

When Douglas was intercepted, he was found with a cell phone and a black plastic bag containing bloody clothing. There were blood stains in the van, on the scene, and in the area where the van was being cleaned matching the DNA of Danroy.

When ‘Jacket’ was approached by police he asked “Officer what I do now, I behaving myself”, but when a cell phone he was carrying was submitted for analysis and was swabbed, the swabs returned a mixed DNA profile of Danroy and of an unidentified person. ‘Jacket’ did not give a blood sample.

A pair of pants with blood stains was found at the home of former policeman, Francis, and when he was questioned, he told the police it was in relation to the “same thing.”

He said he was speaking about the double murder and that he was wearing that same pants when ‘Jacket’ shot Danroy and he fell into his lap.

There was also CCTV footage showing the brothers entering a van belonging to Francis before they were found dead.

Two electronic interviews were conducted with Douglas. During the first interview, his then lawyer, Jomo Thomas, asked him if he understood the advice that was given to him.

He told the lawyer “yes”, however, he proceeded to answer questions that were asked by the police.

Thomas told him that he should protect himself by not answering the questions and Douglas ignored the instructions from his lawyer, and continued giving answers. Thomas then left and said that he was not returning.

Another interview was conducted in the presence of Douglas’s sister, where he detailed the events that transpired.

He told the police that Dunbar invited him to a ‘scene’ and he agreed to go, and Francis picked them up and they made a stop at Sion Hill.

He said that Francis had some money for Danroy but that Francis said he could not pay that amount of money and he told ‘jacket’ “ah best we kill him and done.”

Francis waited on Danroy and when he arrived he had his brother, who they were not expecting, with him. Danroy and Francis spoke outside the vehicle before both of them entered the front passenger and driver’s seats of the van. Nicolas entered at the conductor’s door.

Douglas said that he and Nicholas were on the same seat and ‘Jacket’ was in the back with the gun in his waist.

He said when they arrived in the area of the former incinerator at Sion Hill, the music was“turned up “ very high by Francis and shots started to “beat in the van.”

He said that ‘Jacket’ gave Nicholas “two in his head” and the blood of the deceased went on him.

He also said that a shot went through Nicolas’s head and made a ‘hole’ in the van.

He also confessed to helping with the disposal of the bodies, and that he went with Francis to clean the van.

When ‘Jacket’ was interviewed, he denied any involvement and said he did not leave home. He also said that he did not know Francis ‘like that’. He said he had not received calls from Francis however, his call records showed that there were 128 calls between them.

Additionally, an anonymous witness testified that while they were in prison ‘Jacket’ detailed the murders to him.

The men chose not to testify and Douglas, who was represented by counsel Grant Connell, called four witnesses.

His defense was that he was beaten by the police and promised to be released if he gave statements to them.

Carl Williams represented Dunbar.