After 24 witnesses, including 13 Police officers, the Lagoon Park murder jury likely took less than two hours to make their decision in the marathon trial.

The trial began with former Government Forensic Pathologist John Obafunwa saying that Mr. Lee died of ?exsanguination due to multiple stab wounds? ? meaning he died as all of his blood had left his body.

Dr. Obafunwa said Mr. Lee was ?almost completely skeletonised? and without any internal organs in his upper body when he examined him on August 10, 2001.

He detailed on the stand nine puncture wounds, likely caused by a single edged knife, to the back and front chest area, including one to the sternum and two to a vertebrae, which did not damage the spinal cord, but did sever a spur. Mr. Lee also sustained at least one defensive wound to a forearm.

The damaged vertebrae would not have hampered the man?s movement, but osteoarthritis in his knees would have had an effect.

The advanced state of decomposition was assisted by ?predators?, mainly maggots, but also feral chickens found in the park.

A site visit to the park was repeatedly punctuated by crowing roosters, as noted by Det. Sgt. James Hoyte, the first policeman to learn of the existence of the murder.

Canadian Forensic entomologist Gail Anderson told the court she estimated death was ?at least 7.3 days and could be as much as 12.4 days before August 13? ? the day fly casings and maggots were collected.

Because of certain natural variables, like the intervention of night, shade from the sun and rainfall, all of which affect the arrival of flies, Dr. Anderson suggested death occurred ?between July 28 July and August 1. The insects indicate the death of the victim in this case was prior to 5 to 6 August and didn?t occur later. Death probably occurred on or after 28 July?.

She also was dissatisfied with collection of the insects and produced a set of protocols for Scenes of Crime officers to use in the future.

Det. Sgt. Hoyte said he had begun to question Terranz (Monster) Smith for housebreaking on August 8, when he blurted out ?I have information that could make all this look like s**t?.

He added: ?You?ll never be He added: ?You?ll never be able to solve it?.

Smith would later testify that he staged the break-in solely to be arrested and be taken into custody to reveal the body but not be seen as a ?prick? or informant to Police.

Det. Sgt. Hoyte and Det. Insp. Beverly Pitt were shown the body by Smith on August 9, sparking a detailed investigation and a parallel probe into Robert Blair Tucker?s penetration of the Bermuda Police Service narcotics department.

In what could be considered a vigil to see justice done, ? particularly Det. Sgt. Jerry Laws and Det. Sgt. Hoyte ? watched the trial from time to time and five detectives were in court for the verdict.

Evidence found in Mr. Lee?s livery cycle tied Tucker to him, as did a Police complaint filed by Windsong Guest House owner Roslyln Anderson on July 28 that Mr. Lee and Tucker had not paid the American?s bill.

Even as Police were being shown the body, an Oleander Cycles manager was placing a complaint about the missing cycle at Hamilton Police Station ? oblivious to the fact that it was likely being found at that very moment.

Another irony is that Mr. Anwar Muhammad entered the park with his family on July 30 while looking for a Cup Match holiday camp site.

Spooked at finding the cycle and a knife nearby in the unkempt and rarely maintained Government park, the family left.

A short time after that, Smith moved the cycle, later telling Police he was afraid he might be implicated in the crime.

Truck driver Nathan Darrell said he was introduced to Mr. Lee by Tucker and that he was involved in the drug deal ? cocaine was cooked into sub-standard crack at his home and he got complaints after selling some of it.

Saying he and Mr. Lee became ?like bredrens? or brothers in three weeks, he said he was aware of high tension between Tucker and Mr. Lee and last saw Tucker, James (Spook) Dill and the victim in the afternoon of July 28, 2001 on South Shore Road, Warwick as they headed west.

He was to have put Mr. Lee up in his apartment that night before he was to leave the Island but never saw him again.

Mr. Darrell said he repeatedly inquired about Mr. Lee?s whereabouts, only to be stymied, until Smith told him to get rid of his friend?s luggage. He refused, and had it when Police arrived with a search warrant on August 9.

Boaz Island gas station cashier Lowayne Woolrige said she served her old friend ?Spook? after she reported for work at 2 p.m. July 28.

She could remember that he paid her with a crumpled up US $5 bill and that he was accompanied by another, younger man, whom she said she would not remember.