Another “alleged” murderer is back on the streets after Judge Jon Isaacs, nicknamed the “dangerous judge” acquitted Eltorio Ferguson, the man police believe was responsible for the house fire that killed four people in 2009.
Ferguson was tried on charges of abetment to arson and abetment to manslaughter after he called a friend from his prison cell and asked the man to set fire to his girlfriend’s house.
Thersa Brown, 51; her daughter, Kayshala Bodie, 17; granddaughter, Telair Johnson and neighbor Savana Stuart died in the fire.
Judge Isaacs apparently believed that police abused the murderer during an interview with Inspector Solomon Cash.
Isaacs seemed to believe that Ferguson did indeed murder the four people, but the judge appears to be more concerned with protecting the murderer’s rights, rather than providing justice for the four people who died in the fire.
Many Bahamians question the competence of Judge Isaacs, who has released more murderers and violent criminals back onto the streets of the Bahamas than all other justices combined – usually on the flimsiest technicalities.
In this case, Justice Isaacs could have based his decision on a letter – which could have easily been bought or forged – from a prison doctor that said Ferguson had abrasions on his elbows. Ferguson claims police rubbed his elbows with a rug to cause the abrasions.
Furthermore, Isaacs apparently discounted the fact that the doctor’s letter was dated before the interview occurred. Judge Isaacs said that because the prisoner was not wearing a watch, he might have given the wrong date to the doctor.
Some would say that it would appear that Judge Isaacs was acting as Ferguson’s defence attorney, rather than the judge.
Oddly, Judge Isaacs also seemed to dismiss the fact that a cell phone was found in Ferguson’s cell, which would have allowed him to call the arsonist, as police suspect.
