By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

A 20-year-old man, awaiting retrial for murder, was the country’s 88th murder victim of the year.

Police found Cleophas Clarke with gunshot wounds to his head in front of his Carter’s Close home off Yamacraw Beach Estates Monday night.

In 2012 Clarke was charged with killing a Chinese restaurant worker, Wing Hong Chan, 45, on January 22, 2012. He was also accused of robbing Mr Chan of a Samsung Galaxy phone worth $750.

His murder trial took place in March of this year and although he was found not guilty of armed robbery by a jury count of 8 to 4, there was a hung jury on the murder charge by a count of 7 to 5 meaning that he failed to meet the legal standards for a not guilty verdict.

He was to be retried in February next year.

Police have yet to arrest any suspects in his death, nor is it known whether his death is related to the alleged murder of Mr Chan.

When The Tribune visited his neighbourhood yesterday, a resident of the area said: “The person who killed him had to be someone he knew because they pulled up in front of his house, called him out and was talking to him for awhile before they shot him.”

Close relatives of Mr Chan were not available for comment before press time yesterday.

During the trial into Mr Chan’s death, Susie “Sim Kam” Chan testified that the last time she saw her husband alive was on January 21, 2012 during a Chinese celebration of the new year.

Active police investigations continue into Clarke’s death.